Persona 5: Trickster Vs Champion
by PRemington900
Summary: In this world, there are no heroes, just rebels and tyrants. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, Ren Amamiya has chosen to fight against the powers that be in order to create a truly free society. But how will he fare when another enters the playing field, one with a destiny similar to his. This is the story of Joker and Reaper. Of Friendship and Enmity. (Artwork by AristoMuse)
1. The Trickster

_**This story is a work of fiction.**_

 _ **Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead in your world are purely coincidental.**_

 _ **Only those who have agreed to the above have the privilege of partaking in this alternate game.**_

 _ **Do you accept?**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **I accept.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **The contract has been sealed.**_

 _ **The world is not as it should be. It's filled with distortion, and "ruin" can no longer be avoided.**_

 _ **Those who oppose fate and desire change… From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters.**_

 _ **You are the Trickster.**_

 _ **Now is the time to rise against the abyss of distortion.**_

* * *

He looked down at the crowd of people enjoying their time with friends and family, playing all sorts of games this casino had to offer. Now was the time. He took a deep breath and used his free hand to pull out his pistol.

"All right." He said with a smirk. "It's showtime!"

He pulled the trigger. As the bullet pierced through the wire connecting to the chandelier, it fell and hit the ground causing quite a commotion. Soon enough, the alarm went off just as planned.

"Look, up there!" One of the bystanders spotted him which caught the attention of the security guards down below. One of the guards ordered the rest to go after him. He grinned at their foolishness. The idea that they could catch him was almost amusing.

"Now's our chance!" Crow said. "Good luck! We'll definitely meet again!"

"See ya." He told the others. With the treasure safely secured in the briefcase, he made his getaway as he leaped from his position to the next chandelier.

"Be safe, Joker," Queen told him. "We'll be waiting for you on the other side."

"Safe? Ha! Where's the fun in that?" He laughed.

Just then, he heard an unknown transmission interrupted the group.

 **...suspects... not... confirmed... hold... your... positions.**

"Did you guys hear that?!" Oracle asked.

"Loud and clear," Joker replied. "Are you guys all right?"

"Don't worry about us! Just concentrate on getting away!" Mona commanded.

"Roger." He said as he hopped to the next chandelier. Suddenly, he could hear a song being played. "Hey, who's playing music?"

"That's me," Oracle admitted. "Figured some tunes would go well with our great escape."

"Nice!" He nodded in approval. "Wait a minute, that's one of Reaper's songs, isn't it?"

"Which one?" Panther asked.

"I think it's Life Will Change," Joker said. "There's no mistaking that catchy tune."

"Y-Yeah." He heard Oracle's voice crack a little as she turned off the music. "I-I wish h-he was here, with us."

Everyone was silent at the moment as they all shared the same feelings. Another decided to step in, hoping to ease the mood and hopefully comfort Oracle and the others.

"We all do, Oracle," Queen said.

"I swear to you all, when this over, he will have justice," Crow promised.

"We'll hold you to that, Crow." Fox chimed in.

As he hopped to the next chandelier, he noticed that security was having a hard time catching up with him. Joker simply flashed them a smirk and a mocking salute as he jumped to the next chandelier.

"The enemy is focused on me, so the rest of you should be able to slip out." He informed the others.

Once he reached the higher gambling floor, two security guards appeared before him before they revealed their true forms as shadows. Another appeared behind him, hoping to catch him off guard.

Joker turned around and flashed his current enemy a smirk. With a wave of his hand, he motioned his foe to come at him.

"Shall we dance?" He mocked.

With that, he leaped onto his enemy's back and ripped off his mask to reveal his true form. As he hopped off, the shadow melted before transfiguring into a Sacrificial Pyrekeeper.

"Let's get started!" With a flap of his coat, his enemy charged at him. "Persona!"

As he summoned his Persona, he grabbed his foe by his arms to stop it from charging. He then kicked the creature in the chest, sending his foe up in the air. He then flew up into the air and then slammed both hands into his enemy, sending it to the ground. As it laid on the ground helpless, Joker's Persona cast Eigaon into the Sacrificial Pyrekeeper's chest, destroying its existence.

"Good job, Joker. You defeated it with ease." Mona complimented.

"What'd you expect?" Joker smiled as he turned around and saw the other shadows coming at him.

"More of them? Be careful!" Oracle warned.

Joker took a simple step back as one of them slashed at him with an electric baton. He then hopped onto the pillar behind him and then leaped onto the upper floor.

"Joker, behind you! Go through that door!" Oracle commanded.

He ran through the door as instructed making his way into the next room.

"Dude, can you even hear us!?" Skull questioned causing their leader to roll his eyes.

"Obviously. There's no mistaking that loud tone for anyone other than you, my friend." He joked as he ran for the exit.

"Seriously, dude? What are you, Reaper?" He fired back.

"Skull..." Queen chided, causing him to regret what he said.

"R-Right. Sorry." He apologized.

As Joker walked through the next door, he crouched as he saw an agent walked past through the glass window. He looked around for him and his teammates, cursing for being unable to find them.

"I can't confirm the intruder's location." He said before moving on.

As Joker stood up, he saw that the exit was being barred off by another agent. He moved closer to the wall, able to hide his presence and eavesdrop on agent's conversation.

"Hey, are you sure he came in this way?" He asked. "Understood, I will continue the search!" The agent ran past him, not even noticing that the darkness disguised his presence.

"Now's your chance! Run for the stairs!" Oracle yelled.

He stood up, headed up the stairs and toward the exit. He looked around the next corner and once he saw it was clear, he ran for it. He walked past a command room of some sorts, hearing the man in charge commanding agents to look for and kill him and his teammates.

He ran up the next flight of stairs before a group of security caught notice of him feeling and chased after him. As he made his way up, he ran for the door and found himself against a railing, looking down at the lobby.

"The exit should be up ahead," Oracle informed. "After that commotion, the bottom floor's completely closed off. Think you can make it?"

"You do know who you're talking to, right?" He smirked as he looked behind him to see that security had caught up.

Took them long enough.

"There's nowhere to run!" One of them said as they pointed their guns at the Phantom Thief.

"So you say." He grinned and climbed onto the railing. He ran around to make his way to the window. As he turned around, he saw the suits pointing their guns at him but at that point, they were too late. "By your leave, Gentlemen." He sarcastically saluted and then leaped through the glass window, covering his head as he burst through the glass. He made a point to do a variety of flips, showing off his moves.

"Really?" Oracle sighed.

"Very cool Joker!" Mona complimented with approval.

"Cool? More like reckless." Panther stated.

"I do my best," He said as he landed with grace. But before he could celebrate his escape. His vision was then obscured by various bright lights. He covered his eyes with his arm as the brightness was beginning to hurt.

"Huh?!"

"No way! What's this reading?!"

"An ambush!?"

"Joker!"

"Well..." Joker muttered as he realized he was standing before a large police force, ready to capture him. "Didn't see this coming."

"Capture him!" He commanded and the police rushed at him.

He immediately went for the fire escape, hoping to escape the police that way. He leaped for the ladder, climbing up as the police crowded around it. He smirked as none of them chose to follow but would soon regret that smirk as he looked up and saw more police at the end of the ladder.

"Oh, crap."

One of them raised their rifle and knocked him in the head with the butt of the gun, causing him to fall off. As he landed, the police were already on him. They had him pinned down, preventing him from escaping.

"Suspect secured." One of the police said as moved aside, letting another man walk by him.

"Didn't expect to find some kid." The man crouched down to face the Phantom Thief. "So, which one are you, The Phantom or The Grim Reaper?" Joker didn't respond, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. "You have your teammate to thank for this." He then grabbed his head and lifted him up. "You were sold out."

Joker's eyes widened as he heard from this man that one of his own teammates had betrayed him. The man got up and walked away to let the police do their job.

"Suspect confirmed. Cuff him."

And the last thing he remembered was having handcuffs slapped on him and his vision faded to darkness.

* * *

He slowly woke up to hear the soft echo of footsteps entering his ear. Everything was blurry but he was able to regain some of his vision. He looked around and found himself cuffed to a chair, unable to move. As he looked down he saw various syringes on the floor. It was clear to him that he had been drugged but whatever they gave him, it wasn't enough to stop the pain coursing through his body.

He felt a torrent of water splash onto him as it was unleashed from a bucket. Thankfully, it helped him regain some more of his vision but the pain still remained.

"Guess the drug was too strong" He heard. As he looked up, he saw a detective standing over him with his colleague and a guard standing behind him, keeping their distance. His vision was starting to fade again. "No dozing off!" He then kicked him in the stomach, knocking him off the chair and onto the ground.

"AH!" He hit the ground hard before the man walked over and placed his foot on his head.

"Who are your teammates? Who is the Grim Reaper?" As the detective gave out questions, his captive looked towards the camera which he noticed. "What about the camera? Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?" He crouched onto a knee and grabbed him by the hair, looking him in the eye.

"I would imagine not." He said. "You'll likely delete it, that's what corrupt scum like you do after all. You can't win without your cheap tricks."

"Little brat!" He slammed the kid's his head into the ground which followed by a kick to the stomach

He let out a pained cough from the attack as if that was enough to shut him. "And your torturing tactics are a joke."

"Tch." He looked away annoyed as he walked over to his colleague who handed him a clipboard. "Let's see here. Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons… Manslaughter too, yeah? It's a full course." He then turned to face the boy. "To think that all those crimes were led by a kid like this… The Phantom himself."

 _What's happening?_ He thought. _Why can't I... why can't I remember anything. Everything's all... hazy._

"If you don't cooperate, your friends will suffer instead." The man said before nodding to his colleague. It was a signal as the man went over to the boy and removed his handcuffs, freeing his hands. They both grabbed him and set him up for what's about to happen next "Here." The man handed him the clipboard. "It's a confession under your name."

"I..." He looked at the document before replying. "I understand."

The man pulled a pen out of one of his suits by as the boy grabbed it, he pulled him close so he can look him in the eye.

"I'll tell you now, don't think that you'll get out so easily. We'll make you understand. One must take full responsibility for their actions." He finished before backing off and allowed him to sign the confession.

Ren Amamiya

* * *

She made her way down the hall and toward her destination. Once she heard the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts was finally captured, she was determined to get her interrogation.

As she arrived at her destination, the detective blocked her path.

"Stop right there." He demanded, holding his hand out to halt her movement. "No one goes in there."

"I'm Niijima from the Public Prosecutors Office." She said, interrupting him.

"The Prosecutor's Office? What business do you have here?" He asked harshly, wondering what someone like her was doing here.

"It's urgent. There's something I need to confirm with the suspect." She fired back.

"Niijima-san, I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction." He told her.

Before she could object, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. An older detective who had a cell phone in his hand.

"Are you Prosecutor Sae Niijima? There's a call from your director." He informed her, holding out the phone for her to take.

"Tch." She clicked her tongue as she took the phone from him and placed it against her ear.

"I ordered you to stand by." She heard her boss sigh in annoyance.

"I'm responsible for this case, yet I'm not even being allowed an interrogation!?" She said angrily.

"I'm calling because I knew you'd bring it up." He fired back. "Nijima, this case is already out of our hands-"

"I will not be convinced unless I confirm it for myself." She interrupted, determined to get her interrogation.

"Well... Good luck to you then. I already went ahead and cleared it with them. I'm not expecting much though." He finished, ending the phone call.

"Well, you heard him." She told the detective as she placed her phone back into her pocket.

"Very well." He sighed annoyingly. "Just so we're clear, your time will be cut short. We can't permit you to talk with him for long."

Sae turned her head and sighed, knowing that these bastards were going to make her job harder on her.

"It's for your own sake. His methods are unknown. We can't guarantee it's safe, even just to talk to him." He said. "Plus, this individual is the Phantom. His partner, The Grim Reaper, is still at large and could possibly attempt to rescue him."

"I understand." She nodded while scoffing at those ridiculous nicknames.

The guard opened the door and allowed her entry into the interrogation room.

* * *

He sat in his chair, his body ached from the beating he took from the corrupt detective. He massaged his wrists as bruises began to form due to the handcuffs. He heard the door open and a gasp followed. As he looked up, he saw a familiar face.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "Ren Amamiya?"

"Sae." He sat at the table, his hands entwined as he greeted the prosecutor with a smile. "It's good to see you again. Only I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I..." She shook her head, ignoring her shock for the moment as she sat down with her arms crossed. "I had my suspicions but, I didn't think it'd be you. Honestly, I was expecting..." She said before shaking her head, pushing her personal feelings aside as she took on a more professional tone. "From now on, you'll be answering my questions."

"That so?" He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Where are the others?" He asked about his teammates.

"Your teammates weren't caught. You're the only one who's been apprehended." She informed him. His lips formed a smile thanks to her answer before he clutched his head in pain. As Sae waited for him to recover, she looked toward the syringe on the floor, the mere sight of it made her angry. "Those bastards." She remarked before turning back to him. "Ren, can you hear me?. Almost anything can happen here, and I can't stop them." She said leaning back and crossing her arms. "We don't have much time. If you wish for safety, then answer me honestly."

"Alright then." He said, giving her his full attention.

"What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident? I didn't think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution." She continued. "It's because I couldn't figure out the method behind it."

"Obviously not." He replied. "Otherwise, this meeting would've happened a lot sooner, don't you think?

"True." She agreed. "There's no way I could be convinced of such a… "world" just by reading the reports." She said before noticing that the drugs haven't affected him that badly. "It seems you're coherent."

"I've had better days." He quipped.

"Now then, when and where did you find out about that 'world'? How is it even possible to steal another's heart?" She asked before giving him one last important question. "And, who is the identity of your partner, the so-called 'Grim Reaper'?"

"That..." He muttered weakly.

"Tell me your account of everything. Start from the very beginning." She finished. "Let me help you, Ren."

Before he could give a response, he clutched his head as the room darkened. Just then, a blue butterfly appeared before him, giving him a message.

 **You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance.**

 **This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none.**

 **But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you.**

 **I beg you. Please overcome this game… and save the world.**

 **The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds. The truth that you and your friends grasped.**

 **It all began that day… when the game was started half a year ago.**

 **For the sake of your world's future… as well as your own… you must remember.**

As the butterfly gave its message, he looked toward the Prosecutor to give her his response.

"Very well, Sae. I shall tell you everything." He said. "However, whether you choose to believe me or not is your choice." He informed her. All she gave him was a simple nod, allowing him to begin his story. "It first began on that day..."

* * *

His eyes opened suddenly, realizing he had just woken up from a dream thanks to the vibrations of the subway train. As he rubbed his eyes, he heard an announcement on the intercom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer there for all subway rides. The doors to your left will open."

As the announcement ended, he looked at his phone to check the time. Once he put his phone away, memories of that day flashed through his mind.

The day that changed everything.

 _Please, help!_

He remembered that girl being forced into a car by a man clearly intoxicated. He couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He remembered walking over to the duo and placed his hand on the drunken man's shoulder to pry him off the woman.

 _Get away from her, you drunk!_

He remembered the man swinging his arm in response before he tripped and hit his head on the pavement. The man got up, feeling blood form at his forehead, he placed his hand over the injury in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

 _Damn brat… I'll sue!_

And that was it. At least, that's all he remembered before being forced into a police car.

And if that wasn't enough, he remembered when his parents visited him at the youth detention center. As if he could ever forget the different reactions from his Mother and Father.

 _Do you even realize what you've done, Ren! What the hell were you thinking?!_

 _Mom, please. I'm innocent..._

 _I don't want to hear your half-assed excuses! Do you know what will happen once word gets out?! My career! My reputation! It will be ruined because of you!_

He remembered how furious his Mother was and how his Father tried to calm her down.

 _Yoriko, that's enough! Do not yell at him like that! He's our son!_

 _We raised our son better than this, Sonosuke! Or at least I thought we did!_

Her words cut deep. To hear such things from his own mother really hurt.

 _Yoriko, go wait in the car. We'll talk about this later._

 _Hmph._

He remembered his mother leaving in a huff without saying goodbye.

 _I'm sorry, Dad._

 _It's okay, son. I know my boy would never mindlessly attack someone. I swear, I'll find you the best defense lawyer. Everything will be alright, Ren._

His Father tried, he really did.

But in the end, it wasn't enough.

Ren sighed as he tried to focus on other things. He overheard two girls gossiping about something.

"What? A mental shutdown?" One said.

"It's the truth!" Replied the other. "There are even cases where people go crazy and start attacking people!"

"To a person though? That's gotta be a joke. You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?"

"Cause it's cool!"

 _That's high school girls for you. No shame at all_. Ren thought as he frowned at what they were talking about. As he tried to ignore their chatting, he noticed that he wasn't the only one annoyed by their gossip.

He looked across from where he was sitting to see a boy his age clenching his teeth to hold back irritation, all the while glaring at the two girls. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a black T-shirt with the red colored words "I conquered the Inferno" written in the middle with small flame pattern designs on the top, bottom right, and bottom left, black jeans, and his usual black sneakers. He also had sunglasses hanging from his shirt.

The way he frowned and clenched his teeth, those girls clearly touched a nerve. Maybe this guy didn't like people freely discussing people mysteriously shutting down like it was some trend to laugh and giggle about. As he realized he had been staring for too long, he looked away, pulling out his phone to play one of his mobile crossword puzzle games.

 _Let's see here. What is a six-letter word meaning a vehement or loud cry?_ He thought for a minute before choosing his answer. _Outcry, obviously._ When he saw the check mark light up, he pumped his fist in victory for achieving the right answer.

After a few minutes, he placed his phone in his pocket as the train came to a stop. He quickly collected his belongings and exited the subway.

To say Shibuya was beautiful would be an understatement but that would also apply to it being a crowded place. He wasn't used to this many people in one setting as each and everyone here seemed to be accustomed to this area.

He stopped and pulled out his phone to check his directions when suddenly, a mysterious twisted looking icon appeared on his phone's map. It suddenly grew so Ren could get a better look at it. It was in the shape of an eyeball as it covered the entire map. He tapped on it, hoping to be rid of it so he could return to his map. Nothing happened so he tapped it a few more times before something finally happened.

He looked around to see that everyone suddenly stopped moving as if time itself had ceased to function.

 _What the hell?_ He thought as he looked around.

Suddenly, he looked across the street to see blue flames off in the distance. The fire began to form into a humanoid creature when suddenly, the fire cleared and Ren was met with an exact mirror of him with yellow eyes grinning madly.

And with that, time suddenly continued. He looked around to see that people had not noticed what he had noticed and simply chalked it up as a daydream.

 _I hate long train rides._ He thought as he checked his phone to see that strange looking eyeball still on his map. He pressed his finger against the icon and tossed it into the trash bin to get a better look at the map.

Now that he had an idea where he was going, he headed to the next subway transfer to Yongen-Jaya.

* * *

After taking the next train, he finally arrived in Yongen-Jaya. It appeared to be a lively neighborhood but thankfully it wasn't as crowded as Shibuya. Still, he was unfamiliar with the area so he checked his phone once more for directions.

 _Starting today, Sojiro Sakura will be taking care of me._ He thought as he checked his phone. _His house should be in the backstreets of this residential area, so likely in an alley._

Ren walked around, admiring the various shops the neighborhood had to offer. The area had its local grocery store, a second-hand store, a closed movie theater, as well as a batting cage. As he walked down the street, he turned to his right to find a large house, likely Sojiro Sakura's. A delivery driver was there, probably delivering a package. He walked over to the house and checked the nameplate just to make sure.

It said Sakura, meaning that he had found his house. He pressed the doorbell and waited a while for the man to show up. After a few minutes, he didn't show so he rang the doorbell again.

 _Maybe he's gone out?_ He thought.

"Seems like no one's home." He heard. He turned around to see the owner of that delivery truck approaching the house with a package. "Sakura-san's usually at his cafe around this time. If you're looking for him, Leblanc's in the back alley near the Tobacco stand."

"Thank you, sir." Ren bowed politely before making his way back. He remembered passing by that alley as he looked for Sakura-san's house so this Leblanc was probably there. He walked back down to where he started and found the alley near the Tobacco stand. He walked down and found the cafe in question.

 _Coffee &Curry. Cafe Leblanc._ He read the sign. _Interesting combination._

He then opened the door and entered the cafe.

The place had an old school vibe to it, but Ren couldn't complain. As he walked in, he was met with a man with slicked-back dark hair with a receding hairline, gray eyes, a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flares out, and glasses. He was holding a newspaper, either reading the news or trying to solve crossword puzzles. He seemed engrossed in it as he hadn't realized that Ren had entered his cafe. But, they weren't alone as he spotted an elderly couple taking and enjoying their coffee.

"A public Transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it." He heard a tabloid show host give the latest news. "The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up."

"How frightening." The elderly man said.

"Didn't something similar happen just the other day?" His wife questioned

"What's the world coming to these days?" Her husband wondered as he let out a sigh.

Ren knew what the discussion was about. It was about those mysterious mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns that have been plaguing Japan for the last two years. Apparently, there were cases where people would just mysteriously shut down or where people would randomly go crazy and attack anyone on sight only to not remember anything once they recover. So far it's been limited to Tokyo's citizens so it's not becoming an epidemic but whatever the causes were, people are becoming fearful and restless because of it.

"Hmm." Ren looked over at the man engrossed in the newspaper. Judging from the apron, he must be Sojiro Sakura. "Vertical is... the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls?"

"Oyster." He gave the man the answer he was looking for.

A soon as he the heard the answer from the young man that entered his cafe, he looked over at him in surprise before looking back to the newspaper. He wrote down the answer and it fit perfectly.

"Hey, thanks, kid. Anyway, what can I..." He looked at the boy again before noticing the school uniform. As he looked back to the newspaper to check the date, he realized just who had walked into his cafe. "Oh, right. That was supposed to be today." He placed the newspaper on the bar counter, making a mental note of where to continue before standing up.

"We'll be going now." The elderly man said as he and his wife finished their drinks and stood up as well to leave the establishment. "The payment is on the table."

"Thanks for coming." The man gave the couple a customer service smile.

"This place is in the back alley, so a car's not likely to crash into the place." The elderly man made a comment.

"Crash?" He replied.

"There's been a string of those rampage accidents, you know. I just hope that none happen around here." The elderly man said with a look of worry.

"It's none of my concern." He waved, passing it off as a just a customer's comment.

"Haha, we'll see you next time." The elderly man said as he and his wife made for the exit.

"Have a good day." She said to both Ren and the cafe owner as she and her husband left the cafe

Once they were gone, the cafe owner dropped his customer service smile and let out an annoyed groan as he went to collect his payment from the booth, scratching the back of his head.

 _He probably doesn't get much business_. Ren deduced as he watched him sigh annoyingly.

"Four hours for just a single cup of coffee. Ugh." He let out one more sigh before turning to his visitor. "So... you're the one?"

"That's right." He replied, giving the man a formal bow. "I'm Ren Amamiya. It's nice to finally meet you face-to-face, Sakura-san."

He raised an eyebrow at the polite greeting he received from the kid.

"You too, kid." He replied, "I'm sure you already know but I'm Sojiro Sakura, you'll be in my custody over the next year." He gave his introduction before crossing his arms, looking the kid over as to evaluate him. "I was wondering what kind of delinquent would show up, but it's you, huh?"

"Pretty much." He shrugged, ignoring the man's offensive comment.

"Don't you know? A customer of mine is a good friend of your father's. He-" He was going to continue but stopped as he realized he was starting to make small talk like he does with his customers and this kid wasn't a customer. "Whatever. Follow me."

As Sojiro gestured for him to follow, Ren walked behind him as the two made their way up the stairs. When they arrived, they were both met with a dusty and cluttered attic. Full of boxes, unpackages books, a dusty sofa, household items, and garbage bags. Judging from the lack of smell, it's likely that the bags were filled with other items and not garbage. A box laid in the middle of the room, probably filled with Ren's belongings and additional clothes. He looked toward the far corner near the window and saw a bed covered in dust.

"This is your room," Sojiro said as he turned to his ward. "I'll give you bedsheets, at least."

That was good news. The last thing he wanted was to sleep in a dusty bed. He walked past the cafe owner and looked around the room.

"Hmm." Ren brought a hand up to his chin, deep in thought.

"You got something you want to say?" Sojiro's words broke him out of his trance, noticing that the boy was thinking hard about something. He crossed his arms as he believed the boy was about to complain.

He thought wrong.

"This..." He started. "...is just right."

While it was dusty and messy, that can be fixed with a little cleaning. In truth, Ren liked the room because it meant that once everything was all cleaned up, he would have a nice open space.

"Good to hear." The cafe owner commented, glad to know that he wasn't going to hear any complaints about his living quarters. "Though, it's on you to clean up everything else."

"No problem." He replied.

"Anyway, just so you know, I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, so do me a favor and don't do anything stupid." He gave a warning. "If you cause any trouble or damage anything in my shop, I'll throw you out."

"I understand, sir." He nodded, letting his guardian know that he won't try to cause him or his business any trouble.

"Now then… I got the gist of your situation." He brought up. "Let me see if I understand this correctly. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?" He stated.

Ren didn't really want to hear about this anymore, but he knew it was unavoidable, after all, he was living in this man's cafe from now on so it was bound to be brought up. Then again, it was surprising to hear Sojiro recounting the true reason behind his situation rather than say he "mindlessly" assaulted someone.

"Inflicting bodily harm, huh?" He questioned before letting out a huff. "I guess you can't judge a book by its cover."

"You got it all wrong. I..." He gave up. Some part of Ren wanted to argue, to convince the man of his innocence. But he knew it wouldn't matter. The police didn't believe him. His own Mother didn't believe him. Why would he be any different?

"I don't want to hear it. I won't ask you about it either." Sojiro told the boy. "After getting a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents approved of."

 _Well, one of them did._ The boy kept that thought to himself.

"In other words, they got rid of you for being a nuisance." The cafe owner said. "Don't talk about any of this upfront with anyone, you understand? I am running a business here. Behave yourself for the year and keep out of trouble. If nothing happens, you'll be off probation."

"I'll do my best, sir." He promised

"Good." Sojiro nodded. "Just so you know, we'll be going to Shujin tomorrow."

"That's my new school, huh?" Ren questioned.

"That's right. Shujin Academy. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know and they don't get many newcomers." He said before letting out another groan. "What a waste of my Sunday."

Ren adjusted his glasses to hide his expression from the cafe owner. He could tell this was a little stressful for the man, having to run a coffee shop along with taking care of someone with a criminal record. Despite the cafe owner's uncaring attitude, Ren didn't hate the man.

"Your luggage arrived earlier. I left it over there." He said as he made his way over to the stairs. "I have to get back to work." And with that, he was gone.

As soon as the cafe owner went back to work, Ren went over to his "luggage" and opened the box. Everything was in order as he checked the contents of the box. The first thing he did was change into more comfortable clothes, his favorite black blazer that he left unbuttoned over a black collared off-white long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and brown shoes. He carefully folded his school uniform and placed it on the table near the staircase as he will be wearing it when he visits Shujin tomorrow.

"Now let's get this room cleaned up. Amamiya style." He stated with determination.

He went over to the pile of household items to see if Sojiro owned any cleaning items. Fortunately, he found a feather duster, a mop, and a bucket. The first thing he did was go downstairs and fill the bucket up with water. After doing so, he set the bucket in the middle of the room. He opened the box filled with his belongings and placed them on the table next to the staircase where he placed his school uniform. Once he did, he put the box into the shelf near the sofa.

"Time to get to work". He began.

He started cleaning the windows using the feather duster, making sure to get every nook and cranny of the window. After that was done, he placed it back with the other household items and then took off the dusty bedsheets off of his mattress. He placed those dusty sheets into the shelf, next to the box and replaced them with the cleans sheets Sojiro provided for him. He then readied his mop to finish the job. Utilizing the bucket, he mopped the floor, making sure everything was spotless. After he finished, he looked around the room, proud of his work.

"That's more like it." He smirked and crossed his arms in satisfaction. The packaged books were placed on the shelves near his bed but he knew he had to do something about them eventually as well as those household items. But, overall, it was just the way he wanted it.

Clean.

He looked out the window and saw that nighttime had come. It appears he had been cleaning for a few hours.

"What the heck is going on up there?" He heard Sojiro's voice as the man came up to check on him. "Wow, I heard you make all sorts of noise but I didn't think you were cleaning." He made a point to look around the room and saw that it was completely dust-free. With that in mind, he smiled.

 _Judging from the state of the attic before I cleaned it, it's must've been dusty for a while, probably since he's bought the place_. Ren believed, seeing as how it was used as a place for storage before his arrival.

"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all." He gave his approval. "Though it's only natural you'd want to keep your room clean. Why don't you go to bed for tonight? You don't have anything better to do, right?"

"I suppose not." He replied. Tell the truth, all that cleaning was really exhausting.

"I'm going to close up shop and get out of here." He informed him. "I won't be the one looking after you if you get sick from staying up too late, got it?"

"Of course." He nodded. "Have a good night, Sakura-san."

"Later, kid." He gave a wave goodbye.

After Sojiro left, Ren set the alarm on his phone and placed it on the mattress. He decided to eat something before bed as he hadn't eaten dinner yet. He went through his luggage and found the instant ramen in a cup he packed. After eating that, he put on his Pajamas and turned off the lights.

As he laid down on his bed, he thought over everything that had happened to him, and the events that led him to transfer schools and move to Tokyo.

"A criminal record, huh?" He muttered to himself. "Even so, what... what that man tried to do. I couldn't just... walk away."

* * *

The streets of Kamakura were nice and quiet, just like any other day. He stayed after school late to study before deciding to head home. He'd use any excuse in the book to get out of that house. Ever since his Mom's promotion, she's been nagging at his Father to try and advance or at the very least get a better job than accounting. But Sonosuke Amamiya was perfectly fine with his job, good hours, good colleagues, and good pay.

In the eyes of Ren Amamiya, they were both upstanding citizens of Japan, both with a nice house and a stable income.

As he took a shortcut home, he could hear someone yelling off in the distance.

"Just get in the car, you bitch!"

"Stop it!"

 _What the...?_ He thought.

As he heard those voice, he heard the last one calling out for help. He could just continue on his way home but if someone was in trouble, he couldn't just ignore it. He ran to the area where the yelling became clearer and saw a bald man forcing himself onto a woman.

"How dare you cross me!"

"Please, let me go!"

As Ren got closer, he saw the man physically grabbing the women, likely hurting her through the force of his grip. Judging from how he was acting and the smell from this distance, he deduced that the man was intoxicated.

But that wasn't important right now.

 _I have to do something_. Ren thought as he moved closer to the couple.

"You think you're worth causing me trouble? Huh?!" The bald man angrily asked.

"Let me go! I-I'll call the police!" She threatened.

"Ha, go ahead. Call them all you want!" He mocked, laughing at her threat. "The police are my bitches! They're not going to take a dumb whore like you seriously!"

"N-No, Stop!" She pleaded.

Before Ren could intervene, he could hear the faint sound of sirens off in the distance.

"Tch, someone called the cops, huh? Fuck!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Incompetent fools like you just need to shut up and follow where I steer this county. Now get in the goddamn car!"

"N-No." She continued to resist but after looking over the man's shoulder, she saw that they had a witness. Seeing that Ren was there, she called out. "Please, help!"

"Huh?" The bald man turned to see who she was calling out to. He gave Ren a vile glare the moment their eyes met. "What the hell are you looking at, punk?!"

"Get away from her, you drunk! You're hurting her!" The boy demanded which only seemed to piss the man off even more as he released the woman and turned to glare at him.

"This is none of your business! Get lost, kid!" The man gave his own demand before turning back to the woman. "See, this is all because you're so damn slow!" He grabbed her by the arm once again.

"Get in the fucking car!"

* * *

And because of that, he ended up here.

Ren closed his eyes, pushing the memory away, hoping to get some sleep. After all, he was going to register tomorrow so he wanted to wake up fresh.

Just as he shut his eyes, a ring and vibration suddenly startled him. It came from his phone. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out only to see that weird app from earlier.

"What the... this again?" He questioned as he recalled deleting it. Guess he forgot.

He dragged the app into the trash bin once again before placing it back in his pocket.

His eyelids started to get heavy and before he knew it, sleep overcame him.

* * *

After a few hours of sleep, he opened his eyes slowly but as his vision returned, he realized something troubling and as soon as that was apparent, he opened his eyes fully, now awake.

He looked around and saw that he was no longer in the safe confines of his bed in the attic of Cafe Leblanc. In fact, he wasn't even in the same bed. As he looked down, he found himself in a black and white prisoner uniform, similar to what prison inmates wear. Upon closer inspection, she realized that his hands and legs were bound by chains. He immediately got up to collect his thought and get his bearings. As he looked around, he found himself in some sort of cell.

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by a mysterious chuckle, one that did not belong to him. He looked past the cell and saw two little kids staring at him. He got up from the bed and walked over to them, clutching the bars. The one on his left had a long braid, giving him a blank stare but the one on his right had hair buns and gave him a mocking smirk. What they both had in common was the same yellow color of their eyes.

Before Ren could ask them a question, the two moved out of the way and another figure entered the picture. He sat at the table with his hands folded, a menacing smirk painting his face, the most notable feature was his abnormally long nose.

"Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room." He greeted.

"T-Trickster?" He questioned, wondering why he called him that.

"So you've come to, Inmate." The kid on the right said.

"The you, in reality, is currently fast asleep." The one on the right explained. "You're only experiencing this as a dream."

"A dream?" He asked.

"You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!" The kid on the right demanded

As Ren looked over at the long-nosed man, it appeared he had a few words for him.

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He started. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter."

"A... contract?"

"I am Igor. The master of this place. Remember it well." He told the inmate. "I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."

"Important matters?" He asked curiously but it seemed Igor's thoughts were on something else.

"Still, this is a surprise." He said, looking around the room. "The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a "prisoner" of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."

"Ruin?" Ren wondered with fear. "What ruin?"

"I speak of the end to everything." He said before explaining his options in great detail. "However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be "rehabilitated". Rehabilitated toward freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

"I..." The inmate thought of a suitable reply. "I'd rather avoid ruin if I can."

"Then allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." Just then, the little kids turned to face their prisoner. "Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."

"Wardens?" He wondered.

"Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." Caroline mocked

"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators." Justine explained. "That is if you remain obedient."

"I shall explain the roles of those two at another occasion," Igor said and the twin wardens turned to face their master. "Now then, it seems the night is waning. It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…"

Once he finished, the sound of an alarm entered his ears.

"Time's up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep." Caroline demanded.

"Wait!" Ren clutched the bars once last time. "I have questions! What do you... do you..."

But he couldn't ask them, as darkness had consumed his vision.

* * *

 **4/10 - Sunday**

The sudden ringing and vibration of his cell phone woke him up from a deep slumber. Suddenly, he found himself back into the attic that was now his room. He took out his cell phone and looked at the time.

 _What a strange dream_. Ren thought. _Ruin... Rehabilitation. I don't understand?_

He thought about it more but then he remembered that he was going to register at Shujin today so he had to get ready. He got up from his bed and changed into his school uniform.

"Looks like you're up." He heard Sojiro walking up the stairs. Only this time, the cafe owner graced him with a different outfit then what he wore the other day. A white two-buttoned blazer and a white trilby with a red-white-and-blue striped hat band. "Well then, let's go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer. The school you're attending is in the Aoyama district. It'll cost you a bit to ride the train there without having your pass yet, and the route transfers are a pain. I'll drive you there, but just for today. Let's go."

"Alright." Ren stood up as he and Sojiro made their way down the stairs

"Sheesh… I don't really allow men in my passenger seat." The cafe owner complained.

 _Oh, seems we got ourselves a ladies man_. Ren snickered but didn't let it show.

* * *

Traffic wasn't too friendly for them, even though it was early in the morning. As soon as they arrived, Ren got a look at the school, his new school. Shujin Academy, supposedly one of the best prep schools in all of Tokyo but he knew it as the only school that would accept him, given his criminal record.

Before they decided to enter the school, Sojiro stopped him.

"Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right?" He asked him "It's just a quick meeting so don't say or do anything stupid."

"Understood," Ren answered. As soon as he gave his lecture, Sojiro made his way up the steps. Just as he was about to follow, unknown voices from afar stopped him in his tracks.

"Kazzy-kun! Let's go before we miss the train!"

"Oh, yeah."

Ren looked at where those voices were coming from and saw another individual wearing the same uniform as him. He was hurrying after a woman in a light green long sleeve T-shirt along with beige pants and white shoes.

Since his back was turned, he couldn't get a good look at his face but that brown hair looked awfully familiar.

"Isn't that...?"

"Cmon, kid. We haven't got all day." Sojiro called for him.

He turned his focus back to his guardian, realizing that he had kept him waiting. He followed after him as the two entered Shujin Academy.

They reached the principal's office where Sojiro was given some papers to sign. In the office was the principal who turned out to be a very fat man along with a woman with unkempt brown hair and dark eyes. She wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt striped with white and red horizontal lines, a blue denim skirt, and white kitten heel shoes. Due to her presence in the room, it was very likely that this woman will be Ren's homeroom teacher.

Once Sojiro was finished, the Principal turned to face the boy

"Just so we're clear young man, you will be expelled immediately if you cause any problems." He warned him. "To be honest, I hesitated on accepting someone like you, but there were some circumstances on our side. You might have done a variety of things in hiding in your previous residence, but you will behave yourself here at Shujin Academy. If you are thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind."

"Yes, sir." Ren gave a polite bow

"Good to hear." He smiled before turning to the woman next to him. "This is the teacher in charge of your class."

As Ren looked at her, she finally rose her head to meet his eyes.

"I'm Sadayo Kawakami." She introduced herself. "Here's your student ID." She placed it on the table for him. Ren grabbed it and placed it in his wallet. "Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all." She informed him before turning to her boss "That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?"

"That is correct." He nodded in agreement. "He is responsible for all his actions."

"But, why me?" She wondered, crossing her arms. "There should've been better candidates."

 _I'm standing right here, you know_. The boy thought but kept it to himself. Getting a better look at his homeroom teacher, she appeared tired. The bags under her eyes were a clear indication and judging from the tone of her voice, she appeared both stressed and tired.

"It was a sudden transfer, and since Ms. Chouno's class was recently filled, your class was the only one that had an opening." He explained.

 _Recently filled?_ Ren questioned. What did the Principal mean by that?

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going?" Sojiro interjected. "I got a store to get back to."

"Ah, of course." Kobayakawa nodded. "Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on him. Don't let him cause any trouble outside."

"Well, I'll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation he's in." He assured them.

Kawakami gave a small sigh which Ren took notice off. She must be really stressed out by all of this.

 _Guess a teacher's life is never easy._ Ren thought.

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I'll show you to your classroom." She told him.

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded.

"Come on, let get going," Sojiro said as he headed towards the exit.

"Have a good rest of your day Sir. Ms. Kawakami." Ren gave a bow to the two before following his guardian out the door.

As soon as they left the office, Sojiro groaned with annoyance as he turned to face his ward.

"Jesus. They just met you and they're already treating you like some kinda nuisance." He said, finding it a bit appalling that they would treat a student like that, even if the kid was on probation.

"It can't be helped." Ren shrugged, not really hurt by the principal and teacher's attitude towards him.

"I guess that's what it means to have a criminal record. Looks like your past follows you wherever you go." Sojiro said before giving him one last warning. "By the way, if you get expelled now, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it?"

"I'll do my best, Sakura-san." That was all he could do. Just do his best.

"School never changes, huh?" The cafe owner made one last comment. "Come on, we're going home." He said as the two made their way out of the school and back to Sojiro's car.

 _Shujin Academy, huh?_ Ren thought as the two left the premises.

* * *

Sadayo made her way through the courtyard as she thought over her meeting with her newest transfer student. To think, of all the teachers in the school, he had to be in her class. After all, wouldn't a male teacher be best suited to teach someone like Amamiya?

Then again, he appeared to be polite but even so, she didn't know what to think.

"What a troublesome situation, wouldn't you say Sadayo?" Just then her thoughts were broken by one of her fellow teachers.

"You could say that, Suguru." She greeted the coach of the school's volleyball team. She placed a hand on her hip and sighed. "I can't believe they pushed someone with a criminal record on me."

"It's not just him though." He brought up. "Get this, he isn't the only student transferring here."

"Really?" Sadayo was curious about this.

"Yep, turns out our school is being graced with not one but two transfer students, although this other one's no better." He sighed. "Supposedly, he was a truant at his old school and the only reason he's being allowed entry is that his parents were famous celebrities or something."

"I see." She replied. Two problem transfer students? Looks like the staff won't be catching a break anytime soon.

"Why in the world are people like them being admitted here?" He complained, wondering what was going through the principal's head before accepting delinquents into this school.

"Who knows. Whatever it was, it was the principal's decision." She told him. "I was told that it's for the school's reputation, in Amamiya-kun's case anyway. As for the other one, your guess is as good as mine."

"Seriously? I would've thought that my volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover that." He argued.

"That's certainly true." She agreed.

"Be careful, OK?" He said before stretching his arms. "Then again, if anything were to happen, I'd kick a student out like that right away."

"I'd keep wishing that he'd just end up not coming to school." She said before regretting her words a little. She just met him and was already expecting the worse of him. "Still, that isn't something I should be saying as a teacher."

"It's understandable. You have a criminal in your class after all." He said. "Anyway, practice is about to end so I should be heading back."

"Oh, right. The tournament's coming up, isn't it?" Sadayo changed the topic.

"Hehe, having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself." He grinned. "We'll have to work hard to make up for the track team too."

"Y-Yes... that's true." She said, looking away. The topic of the track team left a bad taste in her mouth, especially after what happened to their star player. As her co-worker left, she was left to contemplate her situation. "Why did it have to be my class? I can't do this again, not after..." She pushed those dark thoughts aside as she headed back to the teacher's lounge.

* * *

"Goddamn it! Traffic's not moving at all." Sojiro complained as he and Ren tried to head back home only to be caught in traffic. "You're taking the train starting tomorrow, I'll give you a commuter pass when we make it back." He informed his ward before changing the subject. "So how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?"

"School's never been a problem for me, Sakura-san," Ren told him, letting him know his school life will be alright. "I'll be fine."

"Good to hear." Sojiro nodded. "Listen up. Don't get yourself involved in nonsense or do anything stupid, you understand? Still, you were expelled once already. To think you'd re-enroll at a different one. It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you."

"I'm aware." He replied, not really expecting or wishing for pity or sympathy.

"If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too." He sighed. "What a troublesome kid I've taken in."

Day two and Sojiro is as stressed out as he was the other day. Still, he was kind enough to take him in for his year at Shujin. Maybe some small talk might help.

"Can I ask you a question, Sakura-san?" Ren asked.

"What is it?" He replied.

"Why did you take me in?" He asked but the man refused to make eye contact as he gave his answer.

"Why? Because I was asked to and for some reason, I... agreed to do it." He told his ward. "I'm getting paid, for one thing.." He answered.

"I see." He said. He had a feeling that maybe there was some hidden reason as to why he took him in but he wasn't going to probe him for information. It's clear the man didn't hate him but at the very least, was wary of him. "Still, I'm very grateful, so thank you Sakura-san."

The cafe owner gave the boy a curious look, instead of complaining, he chose to be polite. Maybe he misjudged the boy.

"Hmph, whatever you say, kid." He shrugged off the kid's gratitude.

Ren focused on the road as he thought over his meeting with the principal. Truth be told, he didn't like him. The way he threatened to expel him if he caused any problems, the man clearly made it known that he didn't care for him. As for the teacher, she appeared stressed out, likely due to both having a new student in her class, one that has a criminal record, and other things that he didn't know about. Second job perhaps? What else would cause her to look so tired?

Pushing those thoughts aside, there was one thing that was still on his mind.

 _It was a sudden transfer, and since Ms. Chouno's class was recently filled, your class was the only one that had an opening._ He remembered the principal's words

Was there another transfer student beside him?

"Again, due to the subway accident, the schedule for all trains has been affected-"

Suddenly, The radio spoke about a subway derailment at Shibuya Station.

"Another accident?" Sojiro stunned at the sudden news. "So that's why it's so crowded. There's been a lot of those lately."

If it was another accident, then it was likely another case of those mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. Just what was causing them? Why were people suffering from them?

He asked but received no answers.

* * *

By the time they got back to the cafe, it was already evening. As the two entered Leblanc, he heard his guardian let out a groan of annoyance.

"Damn, to think there'd be that much traffic. What a waste of my time." He complained. "I wasn't able to open the cafe today."

He couldn't help but feel bad. This cafe was his business after all.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san." He apologized, adjusting his glasses.

"Whatever. Just head upstairs. There's something I need to give to you." He told him and the boy complied.

Ren made his way back to his room and waited for Sojiro. As the man in questioned walked up the stairs, he was on his phone, reading off a news report.

"Talk about a gruesome accident… Eighty people were involved." He said, likely in regards to the recent accident. He then pulled out a journal and placed it on the table. "It's a diary. Make sure you write in it." He threw it onto the nearby table. "You may be under probation, but there are no special limitations on what you do in particular."

"Besides following the law?" The boy questioned.

"Exactly. However, I'm obligated to report on you, which is why I'm having you record your daily activities." He said but before he could say anything else, his phone rang. He pulled it out and answered it. "Hey, what's up?" He asked, conversing with the caller. "I'm about to leave right now. I'll see you soon." He hung up. "Well, I'm off. I'll lock the place up, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night. Oh, but don't mess up my store. If something goes missing, I'll hand you right over to the cops."

"Yes, sir." He nodded.

"You got school tomorrow, so you better head off to bed." With a wave, he was gone. He decided to make use of the journal and wrote down what he did today. After he was finished, he placed it on the table. He went over to change into his pajamas but before he could do that, he heard a ringing sound. It wasn't his cell phone and it sounded like it was coming from downstairs.

Deciding to check it out, he walked downstairs to see the yellow payphone on the counter ringing. While he was unsure if he should answer it, he remembered that Sojiro doesn't have his cell number and the caller could possibly be him. He picked up the phone and answered it.

"Yo, it's me."

"Sakura-san?" He figured. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah uhh… I closed up the shop, but I forgot to flip the sign to CLOSED." He informed him. "It's too much of a hassle for me to go back, so you flip the sign for me."

"Sure, I can do that."

"Well, I'm sure no one's gonna come, even if it says OPEN. Thank goodness, I was able to reach you." He said, glad that he answered the phone. "Sorry. I make it a habit not to save guys' number on my cell phone."

 _It's official, we got ourselves a ladies man_. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is something funny?" He heard Sojiro say.

"No, sir. Don't worry, I'll be sure to turn the sign." He assured his guardian.

"Okay then." He said. "Night, kid."

"Night." Ren hung up the phone.

Just as he was about to head out to flip the closed sign, the door opened.

He turned his head to the visitor who entered the cafe. As Ren got a better look at him, he noticed that he was wearing the Shujin academy uniform meaning he must go there, the only difference is that he left his blazer unbuttoned.

However, the moment his eyes met with the visitor, he was struck with familiarity.

 _He's..._

* * *

 **Yep, I finally did it. It's Persona time my friends!**

 **These first two chapters took forever to write since I'm currently still working on my Tactician Magician fic.**

 **For those new to my page, Welcome. This is my Persona 5 fic. This fic will include both Ren and my OC as the protagonists. Both have their own love interests and personality. I hope you will enjoy the fic and I'll be sure to get more chapters up but remember I am still working on other projects so it may take a while. If you don't like OC's then I'm afraid this isn't the place for you.**

 **Because Ren's personality is player determined, like all Persona protagonists before him, I've decided to make similar to the famed Arsene Lupin. I believe Arsene was chosen to be his Persona for a reason, plus if you know anything about Arsene Lupin and have watched the anime cutscenes in Persona 5, they're very alike.**

 **During his school life, he will appear as an ordinary quiet unassuming student, but we all know that's just a profound ruse to hide his rebellious heart. His true personality is that of a cocky, upbeat, and outgoing individual who is overflowing with confidence in his skills, mocks his enemies for trying to stop him and has a habit of showing off as well as making speeches on what he intends to do before he does it as a way of taunting others, using corny and witty one-liners. Even when his life is threatened, he never loses his cool or his trademark smirk which can agitate others. Much like Arsene Lupin, he has a gentleman's behavior, unlike a certain cat we know who tries too hard to be a gentleman, it comes naturally to him. He is methodical, plans ahead, and is capable of making precise deductions and predictions based on a person's body language and mannerisms. He doesn't get angry easily, doesn't hold grudges, and rarely if ever uses vulgar language.**

 **His most notable quirk is his tendency to adjust his glasses when he's thinking hard, is confident about something, or when he mocks someone.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy the story.**

 **Til next time.**


	2. The Champion

**_The world's fate was sealed the moment humanity came to be._**

 ** _Conflict and ruin were birthed, and the world has been lost many times over._**

 ** _However, man's souls, riddled with flaws and contradictions, hold the potential to evolve into something... more._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _You're an outsider. Never meant to be part of the events to come. But, it doesn't have to be this way._**

 ** _Whether your choices bring about everlasting peace or total devastation, I wish to assist in helping you ascertain your role in this story._**

 ** _Do you accept?_**

 ** _..._**

 ** _Yes._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _Then, awaken... Champion!_**

* * *

He suddenly awoke thanks to the vibrations of the subway train. He rubbed his eyes as he realized he had been sleeping for a while.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today." He heard a voice on the intercom. "We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer there for all subway rides. The doors to your left will open."

And here he thought he'd have at least a few more minutes of sleep until he arrived at his destination. Then again, the train ride from Kamakura to Tokyo was only an hour long. At the very least, it wasn't as long as his trip from Yasoinaba to Kamakura.

 _Oh well_. He shrugged and let out a sigh as he looked around.

He didn't think much of anyone around him, just normal people going about their days, living their everyday lives as if all was right in their own little worlds.

But deep down, they're all the same.

 **It's that kid. The one whose parents died because of those freak accidents.**

 **I heard he skips class all the time and the teachers do nothing about it.**

 **What makes him so special?**

 **He's scary. W** **e should probably stay away from him** **.**

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance at the memories as he had better things to focus on.

"What? A mental shutdown?" He looked over and saw two high school girl chatting away, Likely talking about the mysterious mental shutdowns that have plagued Tokyo for the last two years

"It's the truth!" Her friend replied. "There are even cases where people go crazy and start attacking people!"

"To a person though? That's gotta be a joke. You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?" She giggled.

"Cause it's cool!" The two friends shared a laugh which made Kazuma frown, rolling his eyes in severe annoyance.

 _Typical high school idiots._ He scoffed in disgust. _Freely gossiping about subjects that don't personally involve them_.

However, it seems like he was not the only one disgusted by the high school girls. He looked across from where he was sitting and saw a boy around his age with glasses and wavy black hair. He wore the uniform of the school he was going to attend so he must go there as well.

He too was looking at the girls, sharing a similar annoyance at them for freely discussing people suffering from mental shutdowns.

 _At least someone on this train is somewhat decent_. He thought before the train had stopped, arriving at its destination. He then made his way through the crowds of people and left the subway.

As he made his way through the streets of Shibuya he was suddenly hit with a bit of nostalgia. It had been almost two years since he's been here and barely anything had changed.

Still, it was home.

 _Doesn't feel like home anymore, though_. He noted as he made his way to the next subway transfer, putting his earphones in so he could listen to music.

* * *

As he arrived in Yongen-Jaya, he stopped to admire the area.

He remembered the streets of Yongen-Jaya as a kid, not very crowded but not very quiet, all in all, a peaceful neighborhood. He looked around wanting to get a feel for the area seeing as how he would be living here from now on. He spotted a second-hand store, a supermarket, and an old movie theater.

However, he was not here to admire the sights.

 _I'm supposed to meet Tori at Beauty Heights Apartments, the apartment building she owns_. He noted. Kazuma looked around to see if the building was anywhere in eyesight but couldn't find it. He then spotted a police officer on duty leaning against a pole with his arms crossed. He took his earphones out and walked over to him, hoping to get some directions.

"Excuse me, Officer?" He asked the policeman in question.

"What do you want, kid?" He replied curtly.

 _Don't even try to act like you're busy, jackass. You're not even doing anything._ He thought.

"Do you know where Beauty Heights Apartments is?" Kazuma inquired.

"Down the street, past the old movie theater, and it's on your left, you can't miss it." He said, pointing down the street.

"I see. Thanks." He nodded before departing.

"Kids. Don't they have anything better to do than bother me." He heard the officer scoff under his breath.

He rolled his eyes and kept walking, ignoring the rude officer.

After walking past the old theater, he looked to his left and found his destination. Beauty Heights Apartments.

 _Hard to believe you went from a simple nanny to landlady of an apartment building, Tori_. He thought.

After his previous caretakers could no longer afford to house him, he was informed that his former nanny, Tori Ichihara, had obtained legal custody of him thanks to her close association with his family and would be living with her from now on.

That meant he would have to transfer schools and move back to Tokyo, the one place he never wanted to come back to.

He opened the door and entered the lobby. He turned around and saw a few mailboxes by the front door. It was a small apartment building with only four floors but each floor had 4 apartments. The lobby itself was clean, well furnished with a few couches and chairs, a pay phone, a vending machine, and a small tv.

As he looked to his left, he was met with the front desk, occupied by someone he was quite familiar with, for he had known her since he was a mere 4 years of age.

A woman in her mid-20s with dark purple eyes and short black hair that extended to her shoulders. She wore a light green long sleeve T-shirt along with beige pants and white shoes. She had her vision perfectly obstructed with a book, so engrossed in it she had no idea that Kazuma was standing right there. Before he could say anything, he saw a man in a gray business suit walking down the stairs with a briefcase.

"I'm off Ichihara-san." The man said, greeting the woman who looked up from her book to converse with the man.

"You're going to work this late in the afternoon, Okabe-kun?" She asked.

"Yeah, one of the other guys called in sick so I'm filling in for him." He replied.

"Aren't you already working on another case?" She wondered worryingly. "Maybe you should call in sick as well."

"I assure you Ichihara-san, I can handle the workload." He smiled.

"Well, If you say so." She said. "Don't work too hard."

"No promises." He quipped before walked towards the entrance. "Excuse me." He said as he walked passed Kazuma who eyed the man as he left.

He could tell that judging from their familiarity that he was likely a resident here from the words "another case" he was likely a detective or a lawyer. Although considering that he was filling in for another and has the option to "call in sick", a detective seems more likely.

 _Seems more friendly than that jackhole down the street_. Kazuma thought to himself.

With their conversation over, she watched as the man known as Okabe walked past her new visitor, now realizing that he was standing there.

"Hello, sir. How may I..." She stopped herself as she looked upon Kazuma, recognizing who he was and gasped in shock. "Oh my god! Kazzy-kun?!"

"Tori." He greeted her plainly even though a part of him wanted to call her out for using that ridiculous nickname. Again.

"But, I thought..." She pulled out her phone as if to look at the date and time before her eyes bulged out of her sockets. "Oh, dear! I had forgotten you were coming today!" She said before getting up and walking around the front desk. "You're finally here!" She exclaimed happily before embracing Kazuma in a comforting hug.

He simply stood still as she held him. After she let go, she graced him with a warm smile, the same smile she always gave when she saw him.

"Let me look at you for a minute." She said before bringing her hand to her chin, evaluating him with her eyes. "Yep. Still the same Kazzy-kun I remember." She giggled.

"It's been a while, Tori." He returned.

"And still refuses to use honorifics." She pouted but brushed it off. "We haven't seen each other in so long so I think a proper introduction is in order." She stated before placing both hands on her hips, giving him a wide smile. "I'm Tori Ichihara! From here on out, you'll be under my care!"

 _Still a Weirdo_. He sighed at her introduction. She hadn't changed in the slightest, looks or personality. She was still the same bubbly, carefree, and cheerful woman that had looked after him since he was a kid.

"Anyway, you're probably tired from your train ride. Cmon, I'll show you to your room." She said, motioning him to follow her.

"Am I not staying in your apartment?" He questioned.

"Nope. I'd rather you not sleep on a couch so I prepared a room just for you. Now, cmon." She said as she went upstairs with Kazuma following her.

They reached the first floor and walked down the hall. They stopped at the last door on the left at the end of the corridor, apartment 103. Ichihara pulled out her keys to open the door.

"Welcome to your new home." She said. "I hope you like it."

It wasn't like the house he lived in with his previous caretakers but it was clean and well furnished. The living room came with two comforting recliner chairs and a couch facing the opposite direction of a flat screen TV. The kitchen had all of its essentials, its own microwave, oven, fridge, etc.

Since he's never lived in an apartment before, he had no reason to complain. Ichihara must've gone to great lengths to let him have his own apartment so he felt very grateful to her.

"You didn't have to do this, Tori." He told her.

"Nonsense! I want you to feel right at home." She said. "Your stuff arrived yesterday, I put it all in your bedroom." She informed him but was met with silence as he continued to look around the room. "Anyway, let's sit down. We need to go over some rules first." She said as she sat down on the living room couch and invited him to join her.

"Alright." He said, sitting down next to her.

"While you may be under my care, there are certain rules that you will have to follow just like the other tenants." She told him before listing the rules. "It's simple, no drugs, no alcohol, no unnecessary noise, no loud music, and no parties unless I approve. Am I clear?"

"Yes Ma'am." He replied.

"Glad to hear it." She smiled. "Now that we got that out of the way, I should let you know that tomorrow we'll be going to Shujin Academy."

"Shujin?"

"Yep." She nodded. "You're so lucky, Kazzy-kun. Shujin is one of the best prep schools in Tokyo! My friend Sadayo works there too."

 _Yeah, I'm jumping for joy_. He thought with a roll of his eyes though Tori didn't notice it.

"I really want this to be a fresh start for you." She said. "A new school means new experience. I'm sure you'll love it."

"Yeah, sure." He simply said.

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll be wanting to get settled in." She said before standing up and heading towards the door. "If you need me, I'll be at either the front desk or in my room. It's right down the hall, room 101."

"Got it." He nodded.

"Oh, before I forget." She pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Kazuma. "Here's the key to the apartment. I'll be back later to check up on you and fix you some dinner, alright?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Alright then. Later, Kazzy-kun." She waved before closing the door, leaving Kazuma by his lonesome.

To think he would have an apartment all to himself? Still, he was aware that Tori would pop in from time to time to cook meals and check on him but he didn't mind the privacy of his own place. In fact, he preferred it.

After looking around a few more times, he got up from the couch and walked over to check out the bedroom. As he opened the door, he found the room to be well furnished. A king size bed, a dresser, a small desk with a computer on it, and its own bathroom. His bags were on the ground along with a box containing his school uniform and his guitar case. Seeing as it was all here, Kazuma decided to get to work. He unzipped his bags and placed all of his clothes into their respective drawers, separating shirts, pants, underwear, etc. He placed his case containing his guitar in the corner of the room, not desiring to play it at this moment.

He opened the box that contained his school uniform and hung it on hangers before placing it on the bathroom doorknob, reminding him of what to wear tomorrow when he and Tori leave to register at Shujin.

After finally unpacking, he laid down on the bed to sleep for a few minutes. He placed his earphones in his ears so he could listen to music in order to relax. As he put both hands behind his head, he leaned back and sighed.

 _I never wanted to come back here_. He thought. The train rides he had to take were tiresome. He wasn't going to miss Yasoinaba but coming back to Tokyo wasn't something he was thrilled about. _I hate this city. It's filled with memories I wish I could bury._

He felt drowsy as he closed his eyes, succumbing to slumber.

 _Especially, that memory._

* * *

 _ **2 years ago**_

The Kazumas had just finished their vacation at Dome Town and were ready to head home. Kei walked alongside his Mother and Father, listening to his music the whole time. The three made their way to the subway station hoping to catch the next train.

"I can never get enough of DomeTown. Makes me feel young again." Atsuro said.

"This was a wonderful idea, honey," Yuko said, leaning her head on her beloved's shoulder. "Thanks for taking us here. I think Kei enjoyed himself too."

"Yeah, glad we were able to spend some quality time together. It's been a while since we had a family outing." Atsuro said with a hint of regret.

He looked over to his son, whose mind was focused on his music. Due to their careers as detectives, the Kazumas didn't have much free time to spend with their son, often relying on Tori to look after him while they were away at work. But even so, Kei never complained once and whenever they did have time together, he was always excited and thrilled for whatever was in store. He was a good kid, one that both Atsuro and Yuko Kazuma were proud of.

"Hey guys, look over there."

The couple looked over to see a few civilians looking at them. They spoke quietly but could tell they were talking about them.

"Is that...?"

"Yeah, Atsuro and Yuko Kazuma."

"The Best Detectives in Tokyo?"

"The very same."

"Aren't they the ones who took down that sex trafficking ring in Shinjuku?"

"Yep, practically handed to police on a platter."

"Thank god for people like them."

Atsuro scratched his head in embarrassment from their praise. He was never going to get used to all the attention they would receive from their hard work. Thankfully he didn't let the fame get to his head, as what mattered most was keeping his city and family safe. Still, he couldn't help but blush at the constant praise.

"Seems we're recognized everywhere we go." Atsuro laughed.

"Seems like i... i... i..." Yuko suddenly seemed to stutter which her husband caught notice of.

"Honey? Something wrong?" He asked, looking worriedly at his wife.

"At... At... su... ro... I... I..." She couldn't make out the words as she clutched her head, indescribable pain coursing through her.

Kei kept listening to his music not paying much attention to his surroundings as he awaited his train ride home. He looked over at his parents and caught notice that something was happening to his mother. He took his headphones out so he could figure out what's wrong.

"Mom?" He called out.

"Honey, what's wrong?! Answer me!" Atsuro demanded before turning his attention to the pedestrians. "Someone call an ambulance! My wife is..."

As Yuko stopped shaking, she looked up to her husband to meet her eyes with his. Only her pupils were no longer visible. Atsuro looked at his wife in shock. Her eyes practically rolled to the back of her head, mouth drooling, and teeth clenching.

"Oh my god." He muttered.

"AHHHHHHH!" She then lunged at him, grabbing at his neck, attempting to choke him to death.

"M-Mom?!" Kei exclaimed, both fearful and confused as to why his mother was attacking his father.

"Kei, run!" Atsuro managed to choke out as he struggled against his wife's grasp. "Run, Kei! RUN!"

* * *

"Kazzy-kun!"

"AH!" Kazuma woke up, panting and sweating. He looked up to see Tori standing over him with a worried expression, her hands on his shoulders. He slowly began to recover from his nightmare, catching his breath and calming himself down. The last thing he wanted was to worry Tori.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." He told her, half-lying.

"But, you're sweating bullets! And you were screaming!" She pointed out.

"Just a bad dream. I'm fine." He told her so she would drop the subject.

"Oh, Kazzy-kun." She then brought him into a comforting hug, resting his head on her stomach.

He mentally chided himself for falling asleep when he knew Tori was going to come back. He knew if he had fallen asleep, he would've ended up having that nightmare. Again.

 _I'm sick of remembering them that way_. He thought. _It's never a happy dream of the times we went to Dometown or bad ones where they made me stay in a treehouse as punishment for doing something wrong. It's always the same nightmare_.

After a few minutes, she released from her embrace.

"Better?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied.

"I'm glad." She gave him one of her trademark smiles, opting to change the subject so they wouldn't focus on the nightmare anymore. "Anyway, I have your dinner ready for you."

"Dinner?" He questioned before getting up and following her into the kitchen. As they made their way to the table, a plate of dinner awaited him.

"I made you a homemade teriyaki salmon cooked in soy sauce. It's one of my favorite recipes." She told him. "And to top it off. Ta-da!" She then placed another plate on the table which carried a treat that Kazuma was very familiar with. "A freshly baked anpan!"

Kazuma blushed and looked away. He knew that Tori was aware of his weakness for sweets and pastries and was clearly taking advantage of it. Still, he was hungry and he did miss her cooking. He sat down, grabbed a fork, and prepared to eat his dinner.

 _Is she gonna watch me eat?_ He wondered as he took a bite, noticing that his former nanny was staring at him, eyes filled with anticipation.

After finishing the salmon, he looked toward Tori to give her his thoughts.

"It was good." He told her.

"Yes! I knew I hit the jackpot on the Salmon!" She threw her fist in the air, excited that Kazuma liked it.

He rolled his eyes, believing she was getting excited over nothing. He then picked up the breaded pastry, giving it a look before he took a bite. He hadn't had Anpan in a long time but the taste of red bean paste brought back memories, good ones.

"It's... It's good." He tried to compose himself around Tori as he really wanted to devour the Anpan.

"I'm so glad you like it." She smiled. "Don't you worry, Kazzy-kun. I've got a mountain of recipes for you to try. You'll never get bored with my cooking."

 _Should I like the sound of that?_ He thought.

"Anyway, take some time to adjust yourself to the apartment. But, do not go out at night, you hear?" She warned. "You may have this place to yourself, but you do have a curfew. 10:00, no exceptions. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He simply said.

"Good to hear." She smiled. She said before pulling out an envelope. "Before I go, here's a month's allowance. I'll give you one each month. If you want more, you'll have to find yourself a job."

"Alright." He nodded as he took the envelope from her.

"Make sure you go to bed at a reasonable time Kazzy-kun. Remember, we're heading to Shujin tomorrow." She said before giving him a light kiss on the forehead. "Have a good night."

And with that, she left the apartment once again.

Finally having some privacy, Kazuma went over to the couch and turned on the TV to see if anything good was on. Nothing really piqued his interest so he kept flipping through channels until he landed on some game show. Game shows were always his favorite because it tested his knowledge so he found them to be great time killers.

After watching for a few hours, he checked the time and decided to go to bed early. He was going to his new school with Tori tomorrow so he should get a good night's rest. He got up from the couch and headed to his bedroom. He set his alarm clock and placed it on the night rest, right next to the picture of his parents. He gave the picture a look before letting out a sigh. Hopefully, he'll have decent dreams tonight.

As he settled into his bed, he gave the picture one last look before closing his eyes.

 _Fresh start, huh? Ugh, kill me now_. He thought before sleep began to take him. _As if anything special would actually happen._

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes and broke away from slumber. He could no longer feel the safe comfort of his bed. Instead, he felt the hardness of a cold floor. As his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer in his room, nor the apartment building. As he stood up, he looked around to get his barrings only to find himself in an unfamiliar place.

The atmosphere was indescribable as if no life existed except himself. He felt as if he was in space or something akin to that. He looked around and believed he was at the top of some kind of tower, six pillars surrounding him. He looked down and saw that the floor itself had a very checkered design to it.

"What..." He muttered. "Where am I? Am I dreaming?"

As he walked closer to the railing, he looked down to see that there really was nothing else in sight. It was as if this tower was all that existed in this world. As he took a few steps back, he had this strange feeling that he wasn't alone.

"Ah!"

As this feeling got stronger, he turned around and saw around saw a man standing before him with his arms crossed.

He had long black hair that was tied up in a ponytail and an outfit that consisted of a white blazer worn over a black shirt and tie. The blazer went well with his white pants and black dress shoes. However, what was most outlandish about his appearance was that his face was hidden behind a mask with no eyeholes and a violet butterfly on the right side of his face.

To show respect, he gave a polite bow, greeting Kazuma in a formal manner.

"Welcome, Champion." The man spoke. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"W-What the..." He wasn't stunned by the man's outlandish appearance, but more stunned by the way he chose to greet him. More than that, he was more confused by the Champion title he chose to greet him with as if he knew who he was.

"Who are you?" Kazuma asked.

"It has been a long time so it's only natural that you would forget me. But, we have met before." He explained. "I am Philemon."

"Philemon?" He raised an eyebrow at the name. He said they had met before but the name was unfamiliar and Kazuma was sure that he had never seen this man before in his life.

"Yes. I am a dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness." He stated. "But now, a simple test, if you will. Can you state your name?"

"My name?" He questioned. If he already knew who he was why would he be asking for his name. Just as Kazuma was about to answer, even he was finding trouble making the words possible. Maybe the atmosphere of this place was getting to him. "It... it's... Kazuma." He answered. "My name is Kei Kazuma."

"Splendid. There aren't many who can remember their identity, when in this domain. I am pleased that you remember that much." Philemon said. "I have been waiting a long time for the day that we would meet again, my friend. Your journey is about to begin."

"My... journey?" The boy questioned.

"Yes. Conflict and ruin are approaching and the world will once again become lost. But you, my friend, have the potential to oppose such fate." He explained.

"Potential?" Kazuma questioned once again. This man, this masked stranger, was saying things that made no sense to him at all.

"Tell me, are you even aware of the many and varied selves that you harbor, within you?" The masked man asked, pointing his finger in his guest's direction.

"What?"

"The self-suffused with divine love." He held out one hand. "The self-capable of demonic cruelty." He held out the other before returning to his arms-crossed posture. "People live by wearing different masks. Your current self is only one of those innumerable masks."

"I-I don't..." He muttered in continued confusion.

"The time is soon where you must use your various masks to survive those who would threaten you. To that end, I grant you this power." Philemon pulled out what appeared to be a card from his sleeve and threw it at Kazuma. As he caught it, the card appeared blank.

"A blank card?" He turned it over to see that the back of the card was blank as well. What was he supposed to do with this?

"That card is special. With it, carries the power to summon the selves within you. The Gods and the Demons you harbor." He explained. "Now, you must return, to your proper time and place. Go forth Kei Kazuma, forge your own story."

"Wait! I..." Just then as Kazuma reached out to the masked man, his vision started to fade. He couldn't move his body, all he could do was watch as the mysterious man known as Philemon and his tower fade from his sight.

* * *

 **4/10 - Sunday**

He awoke from his slumber immediately, having been freed from his strange dream. He looked over at his alarm clock and saw that it was about 7 in the morning. He ran his fingers through his brown locks as he thought over the dream he just had.

 _Journey. Selves. Masks._ He wondered. _What was that?_

He remembered the card that masked man threw at him so he checked to see if he had it on him only to find nothing. He let out an annoyed huff, chalking it all up to be just a stupid dream.

 _Is it possible for me to get a decent night's sleep?_ He thought as he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to shower. He put the strange dream aside as remembered that he and Tori were going to his new school today and since he knew that she would likely wake him up soon for breakfast, he wanted to get ready.

Thankfully, it seems his former nanny was courteous enough to supply his bathroom with soap and shampoo. After he showered, he fixed his hair just the way about wanted it before grabbing his school uniform from the doorknob where he had left it last night. As he put it on, he looked at himself in the mirror to see what he looked like with it on.

The uniform consisted of a black blazer with red buttons and the school's emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt that has two black chevrons on the collar, and black and red plaid trousers. He made the choice to leave the blazer unbuttoned, much preferring that look and feel when it came to school uniforms.

As he exited the bathroom, he sat on his bed and waited patiently. He looked over at his clock to see that it was 7:29. Almost time.

"3..." He counted down. "2... 1."

7:30

"Rise and Shine, Kazzy-kun!" The door flew open and in came the devil. Tori entered the room with one of her trademark smiles before she noticed that Kazuma was already out of bed and dressed for the day. "Oh, you're awake." She said before she noticed his attire. "And you're wearing the uniform." She brought her hand up to her chin, deep in thought. "Hmm."

"What?" He asked, wondering if she was trying to judge how he looked in the uniform.

"I like it." She said before giving him a thumbs up. "You look really handsome in it."

"Thanks." He said.

"Anyway, now that you're up, I've got your breakfast on the table." She said as she left the room with Kazuma following after her. He sat down at the table as he awaited his meal. "Here you go! I made it just the way you like it!" She placed his breakfast on the table along with hers. Two sunny side eggs and a slice of toast.

Kazuma ate the breakfast that Tori had prepared for him. Like the salmon from yesterday, her cooking never fails to impress, even though it's a simple breakfast. He was glad that she remembered how he liked his eggs, especially since it's been a while since she's cooked for him.

"Thanks, Tori." He thanked her, finishing his breakfast.

"No problem." She smiled, picking up their plates and placing it in the sink. "Alright, let's get going. We'll be taking the train to your school, it's in the Aoyama district. The route transfers are kind of a nag and I'll have to pay for your tickets since you don't have a pass so I'd rather we get there as early as possible to avoid crowds."

"Alright," Kazuma said as he got up from the table and collected his phone and wallet from his room. Tori grabbed her purse as the two left the apartment, locking it before heading out.

"I can't wait for you to see your new school," Tori said as they left the building. "I think you'll love it."

 _Doubt it_. He thought as they headed towards the subway transfer to Shibuya.

* * *

The two took the subway transfer to Shibuya station and then headed towards the Teikyu Building to make next transfer to Aoyama-Itchome. Thankfully they didn't have to worry about large crowds as it was early in the morning so they were able to get to the next transfer to Aoyama safe and sound but they took their time considering they weren't expecting them until noon. As they arrived at the school, the two stopped at the gate to get a good look at it.

"Here we are, Shujin Academy." She said. She took in the sights before she turned to face her ward. "Well, what do you think?"

"It's... all right." He simply said.

 _Looks more like a prison than a school_. He thought as he looked at the place.

"Also, Kazzy-kun." She pointed out. "Please be on your best behavior when we meet the principal, okay? First impressions are always important after all."

"Yes Ma'am." He nodded.

"All right let's head on in." She said as she and Kazuma entered the school.

They were given a tour of the school before being directed to the Principal's office. Once the reached his office, they met two individuals: A large man who Kazuma believed to be the principal sitting down with a woman with black hair and a purple dress standing to his left. The principal greeted the two before giving Tori some documents to sign while Kazuma chose to remain silent. Once she finished, she placed the pen back on his desk and faced the two.

"All finished," Tori said.

"Excellent." The Principal said. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to our school, Kazuma-san. Shujin is always welcome to promising students such as yourself."

"Thanks." Kazuma simply nodded.

"Now, onto the matter of your... attendance record." The Principal pointed out with a frown.

 _Here we go_. He groaned, knowing that it was bound to be brought up eventually.

"I hope you understand that Shujin has a strict attendance policy, Kazuma-san. Exceed the number of absences, and you will immediately be expelled. Please keep that in mind." He warned the boy.

 _Strict? Yeah, you and every other school I've been to, fatass_. He thought

"I understand," Kazuma replied. "It won't be a problem."

"Good to hear." He smiled before turning to the teacher next to him. "This is the teacher in charge of your class."

"I'm Iona Chouno. It's nice to meet you, Kazuma-san." She reached out for a handshake and Kazuma shook it politely before handing him an ID card. "Here's your student ID. I'm looking forward to working with you this year."

"Thank you, Ms." He took the card and placed it in his wallet.

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow, I'll introduce you to your class." She told him and he simply nodded.

"Well then, if that's all we'll see ourselves out," Tori said.

"Have a good rest of your day, Ichihara-san." The Principal smiled. As the two were headed towards the door, he turned to Chouno. "Ms. Chouno, could you ask Ms. Kawakami to come to my office. Our other transfer student should be here soon."

"You mean?" She questioned.

"Yes, unfortunately." He sighed.

After the two made their way out of the school, Tori stopped in front of Kazuma to talk to him.

"They seem nice, don't you think?" She wondered.

"I guess." He thought.

Tell the truth, he didn't really think much of either of them. The way the Principal went from greeting him warmly to threatening to expel him made him believe that the man only cared about the school's reputation rather than a student's well-being. As for Ms. Chouno, she seemed decent at best and that's being nice.

"Hey, Kazzy-kun." Tori smiled. "I really want you to do good at this school so please, don't get into any trouble, ok?"

"I promise, Tori." He said, giving his word he won't get into trouble.

"Anyway, now that, that's done, how about we get something to eat? I know a cool diner in Shibuya we could go to. Think of it as a celebration of your return home." She suggested.

"Ok." He said as the two headed toward the subway transfer to Shibuya. As they were about to depart, Kazuma overheard someone talking behind him. As he looked over his shoulder, he caught sight of a middle-aged man apparently giving a kid a lecture of some kind. He wore the Shujin Academy which means he's a student there but his most notable traits were his glasses and wavy unkempt black hair.

 _Hey, isn't he_... Kazuma thought as the boy seemed a little familiar.

"Kazzy-kun!" His thoughts broke as he heard Tori calling out to him. "Let's go before we miss the train!"

"Oh, yeah." He said before jogging over back to her as they made their way to the subway.

* * *

As the two made their way to the Aoyama subway transfer to Shibuya, they found themselves waiting for the next train as they had arrived a little early before the scheduled arrival.

Thirty minutes had passed, no train in sight.

Tori tapped her foot, waiting patiently for the train to arrive before she touched her face and noticed something off. She pulled out her compact before noticing a smudge on her eye.

"Oh, dear. I knew something was off." She said before turning to face Kazuma. "Hey, Kazzy-kun, could you wait here. I have to fix my makeup."

"Sure." He said. He never knew why Tori wore mascara, believing it to be a waste as she already had beautiful eyelashes.

"Okay. I'll be right back." She said leaving to find the nearest ladies room.

As he continued to wait, he thought over his visit to Shujin and how the principal brought up his attendance record. At his previous school, Kazuma maintained good grades throughout his first year but skipped a lot of classes over the course of the two semesters. Even when he did attend school, he would end up skipping lectures from time to time.

He didn't see the point. After all, why attend school when there's nothing to look forward to?

He sighed annoyingly, the train was probably late or something, it shouldn't take this long. As he waited, he noticed that someone had walked over to his side, waiting for the train as well. He glanced to his left to see a girl with brown eyes and dark black hair in a ponytail tied with a pink hairband. She wore the Shujin Academy uniform for girls, minus the blazer: a beige sweater rolled up to her elbows, the uniform skirt, and a black leg brace on her right leg.

Her eyes were glued to the ground as she carried this depressed expression on her face.

 _Why does she look so upset?_ He wondered before coming to the conclusion that maybe she wasn't very excited to start the new year. _I feel your pain, that feeling's not going away anytime soon._ He thought as he looked away from her.

* * *

When she arrived at the station, she felt utterly exhausted. Mr. Kamoshida pushed the team extra hard today which didn't help due to her leg injury. She felt a bit despondent. At this rate, her leg won't heal properly and she wanted to be in tip-top shape for nationals.

Maybe someone else would be better suited for the starting lineup?

Suddenly, her eyes rose as she had this distinct feeling that someone was looking at her. She turned to her right to see a boy with brown hair standing right next to her. She recognized the Shujin uniform but not the individual wearing it.

 _Is he a new student?_ She wondered as she had only seen one boy wear their blazer unbuttoned and it wasn't the boy next to her. Her thoughts would then turn to her cell phone as she felt it vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that it was from her best friend.

 **Ann: Hey, Shiho. You on your way?**

 **Shiho: Just got off practice. At the station, heading over to you right now.**

 **Ann: Hey, Nationals is coming up, right? You excited?**

 **Shiho: Not really, Ann.**

 **Ann: It'll be alright. Don't worry, we'll make the most of this year.**

 **Shiho: I hope so.**

 **Ann: We will. I promise. Let's talk more when you get here, okay?**

 **Shiho: See you soon.**

"Make the most of this year, huh?" She said out loud.

* * *

"Hmm?" He looked at the girl next to him out of the corner of his eye when he heard her speak out loud to nobody in particular.

 _Is she talking to herself?_ He thought before he glanced at her cell phone and realized she had been texting someone. _No, she's probably just thinking out loud._

"Is that even possible?" She continued to speak her thoughts. "It's not like anything special will happen."

She shared the same thoughts he had the other day. Normally, Kazuma wouldn't bat an eye to someone thinking out loud like this. He never had an interest in anyone's life before, never really cared. But seeing this girl, she looked so hurt, like she was afraid of something.

At that moment, it just came out.

"Then you'll just have to create special moments for yourself." He suddenly blurted out.

"Huh?" As she heard those words, she turned to face the boy who said them. He refused to look at her, keeping his eyes forward. He had no idea where those words came from, they just... came out on their own. She kept her gaze focused on him as it appeared that he wasn't finished.

"If nothing fun or exciting ever happens, just create it using your own power." He said before he turned his head to meet her eyes who seemed filled with curiosity. "You can do it, can't you?"

"I-I." She stuttered as she heard this mysterious boy give her advice. But before she could say anything, she saw that the train had finally arrived.

When the train doors opened, everyone inside made their way out while everyone outside made their way in. Kazuma couldn't go as he was still waiting for Tori to come back from the restroom. Not wanting to miss the train, the girl simply decided to board the subway transfer. As she boarded, she turned around to face Kazuma, their eyes met once more. While she couldn't think of a suitable reply with words as she thought over what he had said, she gave him a small smile as the doors closed.

He was taken off guard by her smile which said more than words ever could. It was a smile of gratitude, thankful for the advice. As the train left, he thought over the words he had said to her and wondered what came over him to say something like that.

 _If nothing fun or exciting ever happens, then create it using your own power?_ He thought it over, not believing those words came from his mouth. It was the longest he had ever said since coming here. _Where did that come from?_

"NOOOOOOO!"

Just then, a yell broke his thoughts. He turned around and saw Tori sprinting over to where he was. As she arrived, she mentally cursed herself for taking too long to fix her makeup.

"Fuck! Son of a bitch!" She swore before turning to Kazuma, red-faced and embarrassed for the words that came out of her mouth. "S-Sorry, Kazzy-kun. I didn't mean to swear in front of you."

"It's fine." He said, not really as upset as she is.

"It'll be a while before the next train arrives." She sighed before deciding to leave. "Cmon, Kazzy-kun. Let's take a cab instead."

"Alright." He followed after her, that girl's smile still on his mind.

* * *

The cab ride was absolutely awful. Traffic had consumed the roads and it took hours before Kazuma and Tori could make it back to Yongen-Jaya. As the two entered the lobby, Tori went over to the front desk and sat down in her chair, slumping over her desk in exhaustion.

"Ugh! I hate taxis." She complained as Kazuma stood in front of her desk. She then grabbed the remote and turned on the lobby television to check on the news

"Again, due to the subway accident, the schedule for all trains has been affected-"

"Oh, dear. Another accident?" Tori said worryingly with Kazuma sharing her sentiments.

 _Accident?_ Kazuma's eyes widened at the news as they explained how the driver suddenly lost control. _Even after two years, it's still happening._

"There's been a lot of those lately." She sighed, burying her head in her arms. "I wish I had a car."

As he heard Tori complain, he decided to stop watching the news and turn in for the day. As he made his way to the stairs, Tori called out to him, halting his movements.

"I'm sorry we couldn't go to the diner like I wanted to, Kazzy-kun." She apologized. "I'll come up later and fix you something, okay?"

"Sure." He said before making his way up the stairs. He walked down the hall to his door before pulling out the key Tori gave him, using it to enter. He then closed the door and made his way to the couch. He sat down and placed his earphones in his ears to listen to music.

He allowed himself to doze off as he thought over recent events. His thoughts drifted to that girl at the train station and the strange advice he gave her when she appeared upset about starting the new year. It was so strange because he shared her exact same disbelief that anything special would happen this year. The advice definitely had some effect on her because he remembered the smile she graced him with as she left for Shibuya. He couldn't help but wonder if he made her day a little better with his words

 _Even so, it doesn't matter_. He thought. It was unlikely he would ever see her again. Even though he'll be attending the same school as her, she'll probably have forgotten about him. _It's for the best anyway._

As he slept for a little while longer, he felt someone shaking him to wake him up. He opened his eyes to see Tori standing over him. He took out his headphones and gave her his full attention.

"Hey Kazzy-kun, I'm gonna make you your dinner, okay?" She informed him.

He simply nodded before turning on the TV as Tori went to work. The news kept talking about the subway accident. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt and the engineer couldn't explain why he suddenly lost control when he was taken in for questioning. He turned it off the moment they brought up recent accidents that had happened in the past. He knew listening to it more would bring up painful memories he'd rather forget.

"Kazzy-kun, dinner's ready," Tori said, motioning him to come over to the dinner table to eat. He sat down and looked upon the meal his former nanny placed in front of him. "What I have for you today is cheese topped miso marinated pork roast with a side of steamed vegetables. Dig in!"

 _Your creativity never ceases to amaze, Tori_. He thought as he took a bite out of the roast. She went heavy on the cheese with this one. As he finished the meal, he gave Tori his thoughts.

"It was good." He said.

"Jackpot!" She threw her fist in the air from excitement. "Ah, who needs that silly diner anyway when you can enjoy Chef Tori's homecooked meals! Reserved only for you, Kazzy-kun!"

He just looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she got overly excited about her cooking. Kazuma was right, she hadn't changed in the slightest.

"Silliness aside, I'm glad you like it." She said as she pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Here you go. This is a commuter pass so you won't have to pay for train tickets. Tomorrow's your first day of school so don't leave without it."

"Thanks." He took the pass from her and placed it in his wallet.

"Be sure to go to bed at a reasonable time, okay? And remember, curfew is at 10:00 no exceptions." She said.

"I understand."

"Well then, I'll see you in the morning." She said as she headed out the door. "Have a good night."

He watched as she left the room. He looked at his phone and saw that it was about 9:20, meaning he had about 40 more minutes before curfew. Since he had time to kill, he decided to go out. He placed his plate in the sink and headed out his apartment door.

He walked down the stairs and into the lobby. It was as he thought, the front desk was empty meaning Tori was asleep in her own apartment. He then left the apartment complex to explore Yongen-Jaya.

He walked around, wanting to get a feel for the area as he was going to be living in this neighborhood from now on. He let out a sigh of relief as the rude cop from yesterday wasn't at his post, likely somewhere else or maybe reassigned though Kazuma didn't care. As he walked around, he took notice of a shop that really stood out. He walked over and read the sign.

Cafe Leblanc, Coffee, and Curry.

It appeared old-school if anything else. It didn't look like a popular spot but Kazuma found it impressive nonetheless. Wanting to see more, he decided to check out the inside, maybe get a nice decaf cup of joe.

As he entered, he saw that nobody was behind the counter. In fact, the shop was empty. But, as the door closed, his eyes met one occupant who appeared to have finished a phone call on a yellow pay phone. He wore the Shujin uniform same as him, but what he immediately recognized was the occupant's glasses and unkempt black hair.

 _He's..._

* * *

 **And now, it's my OC.**

 **It took me a while to develop his character the way I want it to but I hope you guys like him. His character and personality will develop as the story progresses, just like all the other characters. I'll upload his profile to my homepage if you want to know more about him. Also Tori's profile will be uploaded but I'll upload them when I have more chapters out.**

 **So as you can tell from start to finish, this is prologue from Kazuma's perspective up till he meets Ren for the first time. Now that I've finally got these two chapters out, I'm gonna need some time to write more.**

 **Til next time.**


	3. Pillager of Twilight

**UPDATE: So for those who don't know, Akira's anime name, as well as the name that will be used in the upcoming dancing game, was released. His name is** **Ren Amamiya. To be honest, while I like his manga name, I really do like his anime name so I have gone back and switched out the name Akira Kurusu to Ren Amamiya in both chapter 1 and 3 and will continue to refer to him as Ren Amamiya. Kei's name will remain the same though. Shoutout to CBOperative4 for informing me.**

 **Yep, another long chapter. Thank you to those who followed and favorited this story. So this one is different from the first two as we will start to switch perspectives from Ren and Kazuma, our protagonists.**

 **Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is reading this today, I'm very thankful to everyone out there who read my stories, it's because of you that I continue and will always continue to write. It really means so much to me so what I thankful for, is you guys, the readers.**

 **Let's start out with some shoutouts because the intros of the first two chapters prevent me from doing so. 1st shoutout goes to someone who has been really helping me out with this story, BlackDomus500. This fic wouldn't be progressing smoothly without his help and guidance so I urge you all to go check out his fic, _A Joker's Panther_ , which is an AkiraXAnn fic, go check it out, it is really good. 2nd shoutout goes to DominicanAir21 for their fic _Beauty and the Thief_ which is a badass title in itself, I have to admit. It features Akira and Haru so if you like that couple, go check out the fic.**

 **For those who are interested, Kei Kazuma's Japanese VA is** **Takahiro Sakurai** **and his English** **VA is David Matranga.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the 3rd chapter.**

* * *

Was it destiny, or a coincidence that this happened?

Even though they couldn't read each other's thoughts, their expressions and feelings were one in the same.

The moment Ren saw who had entered the cafe, a lot of thoughts came to mind. First off was that a possible customer had just entered the closed cafe and Sojiro wasn't here. Didn't the man lock the shop when he left or did he forget that too? The second was the identity of the visitor, he who looked to be around his age and wore an unbuttoned Shujin school uniform.

 _He's that guy from the train._ Ren remembered

Even though he was wearing a different outfit, Ren could never forget that deadly scowl. He was on the train with him on his ride to Tokyo, remembering that look of disgust he had when those girls were freely discussing the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. And if he wasn't mistaken, he was also that same person he saw leaving the school when he and Sojiro went to visit Shujin earlier. And now, he was here. What a strange coincidence.

No words were spoken, they just stared at each other as they both shared the same disbelief that they were officially meeting.

It wasn't until Ren remembered that Leblanc was closed that he chose to break the silence.

"Sorry, the cafe's closed." He spoke first, breaking the silence the two had formed.

"Sign says open." The visitor pointed to the sign that Sojiro had forgotten to flip.

"Yeah, sorry. The owner forgot to flip the sign when he left." Ren explained.

"Then what are you doing here?" He asked curtly.

 _This guy's not very friendly_. Ren noted as he tried to reason with him. While it was technically none of his business, Ren felt like he had nothing to hide so he may as well tell him.

"I... live here." He told the visitor.

"You live in a coffee shop?" The visitor raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he was being serious.

"Y-Yeah." Ren adjusted his glasses as he explained the situation. "I just transferred here yesterday and my guardian won't let me stay at his house. So yeah, I live here."

"Transferred?" The visitor crossed his arms. He couldn't believe the irony of the situation. "You too, huh?

"Huh?" Ren raised an eyebrow at what he said.

"Forget it." He'd been here longer than he wanted to and he didn't come here to make conversation with some stranger. "I'll leave." The boy turned around and tried to leave the cafe before this guy caught on to what he had said.

"Wait." He called out, causing the new visitor to stop just as he placed his hand on the door handle. "Are you a transfer student too?"

"What's it to you?" The visitor fired back rudely.

"Just curious. It'd be nice to meet someone who's also new, you know?" Ren added.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, yeah I'm a transfer student," The visitor said, hoping that satisfied his curiosity so he could leave.

"Well, at least I know I won't be the only one." Ren laughed a little, finding comfort that there will be another new student just like him. He walked a little closer and held out his hand. "I'm Ren. Ren Amamiya, by the way."

"I didn't ask for your name." He replied.

"Well, one of us had to start out the introductions, wouldn't you say? That silence earlier was a little awkward." He joked, trying to lessen the tension in the air.

The visitor turned around to face Ren who still had his hand out. He looked at it then looked back at Ren. He let out an annoyed huff before he grabbed his hand and shook it. Since the guy was being polite, this was the least he could do.

"Kei Kazuma, take it or leave it." He gave his name.

"Kei... Kazuma, huh? So Kazuma-kun?" He replied, shaking his hand.

"Call me whatever you want, I don't care. Just leave the honorifics out of it." Kazuma said as he released his hand. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Kazuma," Ren said as the boy prepared to leave. "Hopefully, I'll see you at school?"

"Hmph, whatever." And with that, he left the cafe.

Once the boy was out of sight, Ren's first impressions of him were far from good. From that conversation alone, he saw that Kazuma was unfriendly, rude, and socially challenged. Clearly not a people person but not exactly hateful. His curt words weren't personal so maybe he was just trying to find an excuse to leave and not engage in conversation. Regardless, he found comfort in the fact that he met someone who was in a somewhat similar position. Being the new kid was tough so maybe he'll see him around.

But for now, he needed to get some sleep. School was tomorrow so he went outside to flip the sign CLOSED before locking up. He could tell Sojiro that he forgot to lock up when he left but decided against it. The deed was done and all he wanted was to get some sleep. He walked back upstairs, changed into his pajamas and laid down on the bed.

 _So, I'll be taking the train to school from now on_. He pulled out his phone and checked the subway transfers to get a feel for where he will need to go. _Yongen-Jaya... Aoyama-Itchome... Transfer_. Looks l need to go out to Shibuya, then transfer there. He sighed, dreading the idea of having to walk through those crowded streets again.

He then checked the news to find out more about the recent subway accident.

 _A lot of people got hurt. I bet this will affect the timetables for tomorrow_. He said as he returned to the home screen only to find a familiar app once again gracing its presence on his phone. _That strange app, again? Why does it keep showing up?_ Ren once again dragged the app to the trash bin, deleting it once more. _I should probably reboot my phone, just in case, it's a virus._

And with that, he set the alarm on his phone and placed it in his pocket. As then pulled the covers over his body and allowed sleep to claim him. As he closed his eyes, his thoughts drifted to the other new kid, the one he met today and wondered if it was fate or coincidence that two transfer students would meet before the start of school.

 _Kei Kazuma, huh? I wonder what his deal is._

* * *

 **4/11** **-** **Monday**

"Kazzy-kun." His eyes slowly opened to a lovely sing-song voice that he was quite familiar with as he had heard it many times before as a child. Once his eyes fully opened, he saw Tori standing over him with a smile on her face. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Ugh." He groaned as his slumber was intruded. He got up and rubbed his eyes. He knew why she woke him up, it's his first day of hell after all. "Hey, Tori."

"Rise and shine, Kazzy-kun. It's time to get up." She said as he got out of bed. "I'll make your breakfast while you get ready."

"Alright." He said as he went to the bathroom to shower. Once he was finished, he put on his new uniform unbuttoned just how he liked it. Today was his first day of school, or as he would call it, his first day of a new hell. He groaned in annoyance and was not looking forward to this day at all.

He collected his school bag, left the bathroom and entered his living room.

"Here's what we have on the menu today." She quipped as she placed his breakfast on the table. The meal consisted of rice, miso soup, fermented soybeans, grilled fish, some pickled vegetables, and a glass of water. He sat down and ate his breakfast. Once again, Tori never failed to disappoint.

"Thanks, Tori." He said and he placed the empty glass on the finished plate.

"Only the best for you, Kazzy-kun." She said as she collected his dishes and placed them in the sink. "So, you ready for your first day?"

 _No, not really_. He thought but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Sure." He answered.

"I'm glad. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful first day. Here, I packed your lunch." She said as she handed him his lunch. "I packed you some croquette sandwiches. I hope you like them.

"Thanks." He collected his lunch and placed it in his bag.

"Hey, Kazzy-kun," Tori said before giving him a warm hug, easing any nerves he may have on attending a new school. "Have an awesome first day, okay?"

"Sure." He said. While he really didn't care about attending school anymore, he wasn't planning on skipping the first day. He wasn't going to do that to Tori. Plus, he wasn't going to give fatass a reason to expel him.

"I'll see you later then." She let go of him. Giving his former nanny a nod, he turned to leave and walked out of his new apartment. As he walked down the stairs, he decided to just suck it up and get it over with.

 _And so, my new life begins. A life with no particular objective and nothing to be excited about_. He thought as he left the apartment building. _Just another unexceptional day_.

* * *

As the alarm went off, Ren shot out of bed. He didn't have the dream about the velvet room again, it was just a dreamless night. He wanted to get more answers about what that long-nosed man meant about "ruin" but it seemed like that'll come another day. More importantly, it was the first day of school, he had to get ready.

He picked up his uniform and went downstairs. While Sojiro was busy working, he directed his ward to the bathhouse where he could bathe and get ready for school. Thankfully, the bathhouse supplied him with what he needed. Once he finished, he put on his school uniform and returned to Leblanc to let the cafe owner know that he was about to head off to school.

 _Hopefully, I won't get lost_. He thought. As long as he followed the map, he was sure he could find his way to Shujin.

Once he entered the cafe, he was greeted with a lovely smell. As he looked over at the counter he noticed a plate of curry was made, likely for him.

"Hey, Sakura-san." He greeted his guardian.

"Oh? You actually going to school, kid?" He replied before seeing that he was dressed in his school uniform.

"Might as well. Got nothing better to do." He joked which made his guardian's eyes roll.

"Cute." He groaned before pointing to the plate. "Here."

"Curry, huh?" He said as he eyed the meal in front of him.

"What's that reaction for?" He questioned, wondering if he was going to complain.

"It's nothing. Sorry, I didn't think you were actually gonna feed me." He confessed.

"What, you'd think I'd let you starve?" He joked before motioning him to sit down. "Go on, eat it before customers show up."

Ren sat down, picked up a fork, gathered up some curry and rice, and took a bite. The taste was indescribable but so delicious.

 _I can really taste the complex flavors. How does he not get a lot of business, this is really good_. He thought and he finished the curry and gulped down a glass of water.

"That was delicious. Thank you for the meal." He said, giving Sojiro his gratitude who gave the boy a smile for once.

"Well, what do you know? You do have manners." He noted.

"I may be a 'delinquent' but I'm not that bad, you know." He quipped making his guardian chuckle a little.

 _See, we're getting there_. He thought to himself.

"We'll see. Now, hurry on to school. You'll end up late if you get lost on the way." He said, before placing a card on the table. "Take this. It's a commuter pass so you won't have to keep buying tickets."

"Thanks," He said as he collected the pass before going upstairs to get his bag and wallet, preparing to leave.

"Oh, be sure flip the sign outside to OPEN for me." He told him. "Now, hurry on out, country boy."

"No problem, old timer." He gave one last quip as he left the cafe, leaving a grumbling Sojiro to look after the shop

"Smartass." He thought. So he's not just polite, he's also a smart mouth as well. He's really got his hands full with this one.

Ren flipped the sign to open and then pulled out his phone to check the subway transfers. The last thing he wants is to get on the wrong train and end up late on the first day. First, he had to take the train to Shibuya then another one to the Aoyama district. That transfer is located in the Teikyu Building, wherever that is.

As he walked over to the main streets of Yongen-Jaya, he ended up encountering a familiar individual crossing his path.

"O-Oh!" He said in slight surprise.

"Hmm?" The boy stopped as another crossed his path, coming from the direction of that coffee shop.

"Kazuma?" Ren said, a little shocked to see him again so soon.

"Oh great. You again?" Kazuma sighed annoyingly.

"I didn't know you lived around here." He continued. "Good morning."

"Yeah, morning." He gave a quick reply and walked away, heading to the subway station.

"Hey, hold on," Ren said catching up with him. "You're going to school, right?"

"No, I'm going snowboarding." He responded sardonically. "Where else would I be going?"

"Well, is it alright if I walk with you?" Ren asked, ignoring his rude comment. "I'm new to Tokyo so I don't know the subway transfers very well."

Normally, he would've just ignored him and kept on walking but their meeting the other day left a good impression on Kazuma. He figured if he's new, he may as well allow him to accompany him on his way to school. If only this one time.

"Do what you want." He said as he started walking towards the train station with Ren following after.

The two made their way onto the subway, and for the both of them, it was not a pleasant ride. They were cramped with other people who were also taking the train to Shibuya. Turns out the rumors about the Tokyo subways are true. Kazuma stayed silent, not interacting with or looking at him though he didn't appear to be annoyed by wanting to walk to school together. Rather, he seemed apathetic if anything else.

The news was being shown on the LCD screen. It seems they're still talking about the accident from the other day. As he looked to where Kazuma was, he noticed a large frown on his face as he listened to the news. Was he upset about yesterday's accident?

"You all right?" He asked.

"Huh?" His concentration was cut off as he looked back over to Ren and seemed concerned as to what he was frowning about. "It's nothing."

Just as he was about to reply, he felt more people pressing into him, his personal space being invaded and it was starting to get harder to breathe. Kazuma took notice of this as he was suffering from the cramped space as well.

The two left the subway and made their way to the Teikyu Building to take the train to Aoyama-Itchome.

* * *

"Oh, man. Did it say it was going to rain today." Said a man who was sitting at the counter in the safe confines of Cafe Leblanc. Sojiro caught on as he tended to the shop, looking over at his TV, he changed the channel to check the weather report.

"Oh, crap." He said.

"I know, right. This is why I hate early spring." His customer replied.

"That reminds me, did he take an umbrella?" The cafe owner thought out loud as he wondered if his ward took one with him as he left.

"Huh? Who're you talking about." The man wondered?

"Oh, don't mind me." He shook his head. "So, what'll it be?"

"One house blend please." His customer ordered.

Sojiro changed the channel back to the news as he went to fix his customer his order.

"The effects of yesterday's subway accident continues on today as various lines suffer delays and-"

"There's been a lot of nasty accidents lately." The man said in reference to the accident yesterday. Seems the news is still talking about it. That, and previous unexplained accidents that happened in the past. "You know, I mean the subway accident that the news is talking about. My coworker got caught up in it and is in the hospital now. It's kinda creepy, considering the people who cause these accidents just go crazy for no reason. I even heard that some of them suffer from nervous breakdowns during interrogation."

"Huh," Sojiro said as he processed this bit of information. Before he could offer a reply, his door opened and in came one of his frequent customers.

"Goddamn rain." She muttered as she closed her umbrella.

"What did I say about using that language in my store, Ichihara-san?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, Boss. It just started raining all of a sudden." She said as she sat down at the counter. "How have you been?"

"Eh, as well as can be." He shrugged. "So, the usual?"

"Yes, please." She said as she sat at the counter, waiting on her drink. As Tori waited, she mentally cursed herself for not checking the weather as her ward left without an umbrella. "I hope he doesn't catch a cold."

* * *

 _What a wonderful first day._ Ren joked to himself as both he and Kazuma arrived at Aoyama-Itchome only to be greeted with a torrent of rainfall.

"Crap, why didn't I bring an umbrella?" Kazuma cursed as both he and his fellow transfer student ran through the streets of Aoyama.

As they ran, they stopped at a store called Jeunesse et Beaute to catch their breath. Ren leaned against the wall while Kazuma crouched down, leaning against the glass window. Since they were early, they had some time to kill. Kazuma chose to put in his earphones and listen to music, closing his eyes and tuned out the world around him.

Ren looked down at his phone. They were close to Shujin and he probably would've gotten lost if not for his fellow transfer student's directions. Just then, he noticed that strange app from the other day once again tainting his phone. Before he could delete it again, it enlarged, covering the entire map.

 _What is this app? Why does it keep showing up?_ He questioned mentally but got no answer.

He was about to ask Kazuma if he had anything like this on his phone but before he could, he heard someone else walk over next to him, standing at his left. He turned to see a girl his age whose face was obscured by a hood. She wore the standard black blazer over a white varsity-like hoodie worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt. Her hoodie has a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, and S symbol near the front bottom on one side, and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. Along with it were red tights and brown boots with yellow laces.

After she pulled her hood back, Ren was able to get a better look at her face. She had bright blue eyes and ash blonde wavy hair styled in bushy pigtails, with parted side bangs on the right side of her face.

 _She definitely stands out_. He noted. If not her outfit, then her hair color will. He can't remember ever meeting anyone in Japan who had blonde hair. She may be of American descent but that's just a guess.

* * *

As she was finally freed from the rain, she noticed that someone was looking at her. She turned to her right to see a boy she was not familiar with. He may be wearing the uniform of her school but she was sure she'd never met him before.

 _Is he a new student?_ She wondered before giving him a smile, greeting him.

"Good morning." She said.

"Huh?" He muttered as she spoke first. "Oh, good morning."

"Are you new here?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah. I'm a transfer student." He explained. "2nd year."

"Oh!" She said, no wonder she didn't recognize him. "I'm a 2nd year as well."

"That so." He said as he held out his hand, wanting to properly greet her. "I'm Ren Amamiya, a pleasure to meet you."

"Ann Takamaki. Nice to meet you too, Amamiya-kun." She shook his hand. As she let go, she looked past him to see another student behind him, crouched on the ground, eyes closed, with earphones. She didn't recognize him either. Odds are, he was another transfer student. Before she could say anything, the two saw a car pull up. Upon seeing that car, the girl known as Takamaki cringed, likely because she knew who it belonged to. The driver rolled down his window and they were met with a man in a blue tracksuit and an unusually long chin. He gave them a smile before speaking.

"Good morning! You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." He offered and Ren noticed that it was mainly addressed to Takamaki.

"Um, sure. Thank you." She said with a smile as she walked away from the two.

"How about you? Do you and your friend need a lift too?" He asked both boys.

"No thank you." Ren waved it off and from the look of it, that other boy that was with him didn't seem interested either.

With that, Takamaki put on her seatbelt and as the window rolled up, Ren caught her fake smile slowly turning into an expression that both combined sorrow and discomfort. The man gave Ann a smile as they drove off to Shujin.

"You should stay away from him." He warned her. "Kid's a criminal on probation, heard he assaulted someone. And that other guy that was with him is no better. It'd be best to avoid scum like them, kay babe?"

 _You're one to talk, asshole_. She thought as she glanced over her shoulder and saw Ren and that other kid still standing there. _Amamiya-_ kun's _on probation? Really? He doesn't seem like a bad guy._ Her thoughts were then interrupted as he felt fingertips slowly caressing her thigh. Her face twisted in disgust as she inched away, hoping that he'll stop. _Damn it._

* * *

 _Why did she go with him?_ He wondered. She seemed so uncomfortable and he could tell that she was feigning kindness when that man offered her a ride so why did she just willingly go with him? Just who was that guy?

Before he could get any answers, he looked to his right and saw Kazuma stand up, placing both earphones and his phone in his pocket as he saw what had transpired.

"Friend of yours?" He asked curiously.

"I just met her."

"That so." He commented as he watched them drive off.

Suddenly, Kazuma felt someone bump into from behind. Some kid with spiky blonde hair, who clearly wasn't looking where he was going, stopped in front of the duo, looking in the direction of where Takamaki and that man drove off.

"Dammit!" They heard him curse. "The hell's wrong with her?! Hanging out with that pervy teacher!"

So that guy was a teacher, all the more reason for Ren to be confused as to why she would go with him. However, that little comment about him being pervy caught him off guard.

"Pervy teacher?" He questioned

When he spoke, the blonde kid heard him and turned to face the two. They noticed that like Takamaki, his uniform was more modified. He wore the school's black blazer, unbuttoned, much like Kazuma's, to reveal a yellow t-shirt with a comic style star symbol and the word 'ZOMG!' He has plaid trousers rolled up to reveal his ankles. His pants have black suspenders that hang down instead of being worn on his shoulders, a white belt, and white sneakers that have a rising sun flag motif.

That comment Ren made caused the boy to give the two a harsh glare and approached them.

"What do you two want?" He said aggressively. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

"Ever heard of personal space?" Kazuma returned with a glare of his own. "Back off."

"You tryin to start something?" The blonde asked rudely as he got closer.

"Hey, both of you knock it off," Ren said to the two of them as they turned their attention to him. "Who's Kamoshida?"

"Huh?" He gave him a questioned look. "In that car that just drove off, that was Kamoshida." His face contorted into an even bigger frown. "He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is, the king of a castle? Effin' Asshole."

"King of the castle?" Ren replied. "Which castle?"

"No, not an actual castle. I mean..." The blonde stopped as he looked at both of them. They wore the school uniforms but he was sure he's never met these two before. Strange, especially since they seem to be his age. "Wait. You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You guys are from Shujin, right?"

"You go to Shujin as well?" He asked.

"Well, yeah. No other high school's got a uniform like this." The blonde replied.

"We're transfer students, idiot." Kazuma intervened. "Of course we don't know who you're talking about."

"Huh?" He heard the other guy speak. He heard the part of them being transfer students but not the insult to his character. With that in mind, he realized why they wouldn't know who Kamoshida was. "OH! You guys are transfer students! And second-years as well, so we're in the same grade. No wonder you guys don't know him." He finished before scratching the back of his head, a little embarrassed as he understood that he was being aggressive for no reason. "Sorry for being an asshole."

"Whatever." He looked away, not really caring for nor wanting an apology.

"Anyway, I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. Nice to meet you guys." He greeted the two.

"I'm Ren and this is Kazuma. Nice to meet you, Ryuji-kun." The probationer introduced himself as he shook the spiky blonde's hand though when he held his hand out for Kazuma, he simply ignored it.

"R-Right. You can just call me Ryuji." He said as he withdrew his hand. Seeing that the rain was dying down, he made a comment. "This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up or we'll be late." As he turned around, in a split second, the world around them appeared distorted and a wave of pain coursed through their heads.

"Ugh…!" The three grunted.

"Uuugh, my head hurts…" They heard Ryuji said. "Damn it, I wanna go home." With that, he started walking away.

With the headache over and done with, Ren and Kazuma looked at each other, realizing they all suffered from the same migraine.

"Weird." The probationer commented. "Guess, we should get going."

"Yeah," Kazuma said as they two walked after the spiky blonde.

...

...

* * *

...

...

As he finished recounting his first few days in Tokyo, it appeared that Sae had something on her mind.

"There was a terrible subway accident that day. You remember it, don't you?"

"Obviously. It was all over the news." He replied.

"Then I assume you know of the uproar that the public calls the "psychotic breakdown incidents."?"

"Maybe I do maybe I don't." He answered and she gave an irritated sigh at his choice of answer.

"You say that like it's none of your business." She responded.

"Really, I wonder why." He replied earning another irritated sigh from her.

"It was all over the news, and one of the victims included a teacher at your high school. I've no doubt you heard about it." She said, responding with facts to back up her claim. "On that day… were you still an "ordinary" student?"

"Depends on your definition of "ordinary", Sae." He said.

"Alright then, let me change the question. You transferred to Shujin Academy, correct?" The Prosecutor asked.

"That's right." He nodded.

"An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city. That's what it should've been." She added. "What happened around that time? Tell me everything. Truthfully."

"Fine." He continued his story.

...

...

* * *

...

...

"Through here, new guys." Ryuji led the two through an alley. "We can take a shortcut through here. It'll lead us right to the school gate."

The two transfer students followed the spiky blonde through the alley to get to school. As they went through the supposed "shortcut", Ren started to feel a little weird. He couldn't put his finger on it but something was strange. He felt as if the atmosphere around him had changed but couldn't find the words to describe it. As he continued to follow Ryuji, he stepped on a puddle that felt like he had stepped on sticky goo or something akin to that.

"Hey." Kazuma said, making Ren turn around to face him."Something feels off."

"Yeah." He nodded, it appeared they both shared the same feeling.

"Wha...?!" Suddenly, they heard Ryuji let out a little screech. "What the hell?!"

The two followed after, wondering what was the problem but when they came to, it wasn't the school they were supposedly being led to by a shortcut. It wasn't Shujin Academy, one of the best prep schools in all of Tokyo, Japan. It wasn't the school that Ren and Kazuma were beginning their first days at.

No, far from it.

Instead, the three 2nd year boys gazed upon not their school, but a large castle in its place.

"What are you trying to pull here?" Kazuma turned to the spiky blonde accusingly. "What's going on?"

"Wha?! How the hell should I know?!" Ryuji exclaimed before turning around, looking at the alley they came from. "We didn't make a wrong turn, did we?"

"You tell me. You're the one who said it was a shortcut." He pointed out and continued to accuse the boy of misleading them.

"Kazuma, that's enough. He's just as confused as you are." Ren interjected before pointing at the sign. "Look, it says Shujin Academy so we didn't take a wrong turn."

"Are you stupid? That's clearly not the school, Amamiya." Kazuma replied.

"For real, what's going on here?" Ryuji wondered. "I guess we'll just have to go and ask."

Seeing no other option, the three walked along the drawbridge gate to enter the mysterious castle. Once inside, they found themselves in what appeared to be a grand hall of some sort.

"Th-That's weird…" Ryuji said as he looked around, looking for someone to tell them what was going on. "Where's the school?"

"Why don't you tell us?" Kazuma demanded.

"How the hell should I know, damn it!" The spiky blonde replied. "I've been using that shortcut since my 1st year, this has to be it! I mean, it… should be…" He pulled out his phone only to see that there were no bars. "Out of service? Where'd we end up?

"Guys, something's not right here," Ren said as a feeling a danger coursed through his body.

"Huh?" Before Ryuji could reply they saw something walking towards him. Fitting for the castle, in came a man dressed up as a knight, armed with a sword and shield approached them. His identity was concealed by a blue mask and judging from the way he was looking at them, Ren could tell it wasn't friendly. "Geez, you freaked me out… Who're you? This some kind of prank?" He asked and approached the knight to get a better look. "Man, your cosplay is impressive. Is that armor real?" He asked but he got no answer. He crossed his arms, agitated by this guy's silent treatment. "Hey, don't ignore me. Explain dammit."

"Wait. I don't think he's..." Before Ren could interject, another knight, nearly identical, approached them, standing next to his partner.

"...H-Hey, what's goin' on?" Ryuji took a step back as he watcher another one enter the picture.

"Okay, this joke of yours has gone on long enough," Kazuma said to the blonde. "What is going on here?!"

"Dude! I'm telling you I don't know! I'm not doing this!" He retorted.

Suddenly, the knights started approaching them again, this time more aggressively.

"This shit's real." Ryuji believed. "C-Calm down! Timeout, man!" They wouldn't stop so he turned to the others. "We gotta run!"

"Let's get out of here!" The three made a run for the exit but before they could take another step, two additional knights showed up and before they knew it, they were surrounded.

"Ugh, what's with these guys!?" Ryuji exclaimed. Before he could do anything, one hit him in the back with his shield. "Gah!"

"Ryuji!" Ren cried out in worry.

"Oww… Y-You're gonna break my bones, damn it!" The blonde said as he tried to stand back up.

"That's enough!" Kazuma was getting tired of this, whatever this was. He walked in front of Ryuji, staring right at the knight that hit him. "Get out of my way you...!" But he was met with a shield to the face. "AGH!" He grunted as he fell to the ground.

"Kazuma!" Ren went over to his fellow transfer student to see that he was knocked out cold.

"Shit!" The blonde responded in shock from what he had witnessed. He turned to face the group of strange knights with a glare. "The hell you think you're...!"

He couldn't finish his sentence as the knight closed in on them.

" **Take them away!** "

* * *

Darkness.

That's all he could see right now. After that knight socked him in the face, darkness took him. In a way, he liked the darkness, only he liked it when he was in control of it. The darkness that came about when one falls asleep.

But this darkness that came about was not under his control.

"Hey, wake up!"

He could hear an unknown voice and small hands pushing against him. He didn't recognize it, it didn't belong to Amamiya or that blonde loudmouth he walked into the castle with. It was... someone else.

"Hey, wake up Brown Hair! Cmon, up and at em!" Suddenly, he felt something smack his face. He opened his eyes and found himself in a dungeon of some kind. He's played enough medieval RPGs before to know what stereotypical dungeons look like. As he to his right to see who was trying to wake him, he knew he must still be unconscious because there was no way this was real.

"Good, you're awake." Said the strange cat-like creature that stood before him. Whatever it was, it had a large head and eyes with a yellow bandana and a utility belt.

"That get-up." He whispered as he closed his eyes once more. "What a strange dream..."

"Hey!" It smacked him in the face once more, pain coursing through his cheek. "I said wake up!"

"Huh?!" Suddenly, his eyes shot open and the creature standing before him wasn't part of a dream, it was real. "W-What!"

"About time." It complained. "For a minute there I thought you'd never wake up."

"U-Uh..." He said as he stood up and got a better look at the creature. "What the...?"

"What? Is there something on my face?" It asked.

"Are you... what are you? Some kind of cat?" He inquired but that only seemed to anger it and it gave the boy an intense frown.

"I am NOT a cat!" He exclaimed. "Say that again and I'll make you regret it!"

"Excuse me?" Kazuma questioned the threat this 'thing' made toward him.

"Still, I'm surprised they put you in here with me." It said. "They took your friends a little further in, in case you were wondering."

"Friends?" He raised an eyebrow before realizing that it was talking about Amamiya and that other guy. "They're not my friends."

"Well, whatever they are, they were taken a little further in. Guess the King's got something planned for them." It believed.

"King? What..."

Before he could continue to question the creature, they heard Knights approaching. Kazuma was immediately on guard, knowing that one of those things knocked him out cold.

" **My liege, this is one of the intruders we found at the entrance**." He was speaking to someone but it wasn't directed at them.

"Is that so..."

Just then, the Knights opened the cell door and in came a man dressed in a red bathrobe covering his half-naked body wearing pink underwear. He wore a menacing smirk on his face and it didn't look like he was here to let him go.

"It's him." The creature whispered as it retreated to the corner of the cell.

"Y-You're..." Kazuma recognized the face of the so-called 'King'. It was the face of that man who offered that blonde girl a ride to school. "You're that guy from earlier."

"You will address me as your King you filthy piece of trash!" He yelled as he kicked the boy in the stomach, sending him the ground. "So, you're one of the intruders that dared to set foot in my castle. What were you thinking? Unlawful entry is a serious crime, you know?"

"Look, I'll happily leave this dump. Just let me go, creep." Kazuma retorted as he stood up.

"Oh, did you just insult me?" He raised an eyebrow at the boy. "You've got balls, kid. I'll give you that."

"Where are the others?" He asked. "What did you do to Amamiya and that other guy?"

"Worried about your accomplices, are you?" He crouched down, looking at the boy dead in the eye. "Don't worry, they'll be joining you soon."

"You...!" Kazuma looked at him coldly. "Let me out. Let us out, scumbag!"

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning to his guards. "The way he's looking at me pisses me off! His punishment will be... death by torture."

"What?!" His eyes widened as he heard his punishment

"Deal with him. The rest of you, on me." He commanded four of his knights to carry out Kazuma's punishment while the rest followed after their king, leaving the cell.

"Hey! I'm not done with..." He tried to hurry after him but one of the Knights that was left in the cell with him hit him in the face with his shield, knocking him the ground. "ARG!"

" **You have been sentenced, prisoner! Do not resist!** " He said as the other guards grabbed onto the boy's arms, preventing him from resisting any further.

"Hey, get off of him!" The cat-like creature from earlier rushed at them to help out his fellow cellmate, but the fourth remaining knight grabbed onto the cat and pinned him to the wall.

" **Stay out of this, prisoner. Your sentence will come when the King demands it**." The guard sneered to the insolent creature.

"Let me go!" Kazuma struggled against the guards who were holding him down and watched as the guard in front of him pulled out his blade.

" **As ordered by my liege, you're hereby sentenced to death... by torture**." The knight said as he placed the blade near his shoulder and then dragging it along to his chest and then to his stomach, cutting through his uniform, causing him pain.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

* * *

"Hey. Hey! Dude, wake up!"

Ren opened his eyes. He thought if luck was on his side, everything that had happened was nothing more than a bad dream. That he would wake up in the attic of Leblanc, eat the curry Sojiro prepared for him, encounter Kazuma again on his way to the station, and be able to attend school, thinking of his time in the mysterious castle as nothing more than his wild imagination.

Unfortunately, it appeared that luck did not favor him whatsoever as he got up from the wooden bed and saw that he, along with Ryuji were trapped in some kind of dungeon.

"You all right? " He asked.

"I'll live." The probationer replied. "What about you?"

"Yeah, more or less." The blonde said as he looked around the cell. "Looks like this ain't no dream."

"Guess it's..." Ren stopped for a moment before he realized that it only he and Ryuji were in this cell. "Wait, where's Kazuma?!"

"I don't know, I didn't see him when I woke up. I guess they took him somewhere else." He groaned, kicking the ground in annoyance. "Ugh, what the effs goin' on!?" He ran towards the cell door and started banging on it, hoping to get someone's attention. "Hey, let us outta here you bastards! I know there's someone out there!"

"Hey." He called to the spiky blonde. "Let's not draw any unnecessary attention, okay?"

"Damn it!" Ryuji yelled. "Where the hell are we!? Is this some kinda TV set?"

Before Ren could answer, they heard a loud scream off in the distance. Whatever it was, it was agonizing, as if someone was being tortured. It was loud and whoever it was, it sounded like they were in pain.

"Th-The hell was that?!"

"I don't..." The screams kept happening and Ren suddenly realized who they belonged too. "That's Kazuma's voice!"

"Whoa… Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Oh shit!" Ryuji trembled in fear as the screams got louder. There was no doubt that was Kazuma's voice they were hearing. "What the hell are they doing to him?!"

"We need to find a way out." The probationer reasoned. It's not too late, there must be a way out. If he doesn't, something bad could happen to Kazuma. All tried to calm himself down so he could come up with a plan. Ryuji started walking around, looking for anything that could be used as an escape.

 _Think, Ren, think._ He looked around the cell, hoping for some kind of clue as to how to get out. _No windows, no cracks, no tools. What do I do?_

"Huh? You hear that?" Ryuji asked as he heard footstep approaching their cell. The two made their way over as they came face-to-face with those knights that brought them here.

" **Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon.** " One of them said. " **Your charge is 'unlawful entry'. Thus, you will be sentenced... to death.** "

The two took a few steps back in shock as they heard the knight say that they will be put to death.

"Say what!?" Ryuji said in shock from the punishment they chose to give them.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle." They heard a new voice from behind the knights. As they moved out of the way, Ryuji could not believe he was seeing this. He had seen him before but not like this.

"Huh?" He did a double take on his getup before realizing who was wearing it. "Wait... Is that you, Kamoshida?"

Ren recognized that man. He watched him offer that girl, Ann Takamaki, a ride to school. The expression of discomfort that was etched on her face is something he never forgot. That same expression was now on his face as he was now seeing him in a bathrobe. That, and those yellows eyes made him appear very menacing.

"I thought the guards caught some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto. Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?" He thought before he looked over at Ren and laughed. "And you brought friends this time? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, you're so pathetic you can't do anything by yourself."

"Go to hell, you piece of shit! And what's with that crazy outfit?!" Sakamoto exclaimed as he struggled against the cell bars.

"How dare you speak to your King like that!" The man sneered at the imprisoned Ryuji. "You know, your other friend made the mistake of speaking to me that way and he's currently paying for it."

 _No._ Ren's eyes widened at what the king had said. _He's talking about Kazuma, isn't he?!_

"Seems you still don't know your place. Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting the king." He blared a nasty grin. "The punishment for that is death... by torture." He then ordered his guards to get ready for the punishment. "It's time for an execution. Open the cell!"

When the cell doors opened, the knights entered and the two backed away. They seemed to be more focused on Sakamoto then Ren, but the knight currently standing guard by the door made sure that they wouldn't be leaving.

"S-Stop it," Ryuji said. "Goddammit!" He decided enough was enough and lunged into the nearby knight's shield with all of his strength, knocking it down. "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!"

Ren was about to make a run for it before one of the knights approached the spiky blonde and slammed the hilt of his blade into the boy's stomach.

"Nnngh..." He fell to the ground in pain, the wind being knocked out of him.

"Stop it!" Amamiya yelled. "Leave him alone!"

"Just go, dammit! Get the hell outta here!" He told the probationer. "These guys are serious!"

"I'm not leaving you here!" He promised which seemed to make King Kamoshida laugh.

"Oh? Gonna run away, huh? What a heartless friend you are." He smugly said.

"He ain't a friend," Sakamoto stated before letting out a pained cough. "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"

"B-But..." Even if he wanted to, his body couldn't move. There is no way he could leave someone like this, to suffer at the hand of these monsters. That's not who he was.

"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" Kamoshida huffed. "Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time." He then walked over to Ryuji, ready to carry out the boy's punishment. "I'll focus on this one's execution." He snapped his fingers and his guards held him up, defenseless, unable to protect himself. "Take this!"

He punched him square in the face. Then another, then another.

"Lowly scum!" He threw out as he continued punching him, giggling at the pain he was causing the poor boy. "Worthless pest!" With one final strike, he knocked him to the ground. He then spat on him, as if he was nothing more than a piece of trash to get rid of. "What's the matter, Sakamoto? Where'd your energy from earlier go?" He asked before one of his knights grabbed the tortured boy and threw him across the room. "Pathetic. You're not even worth beating up."

Ryuji couldn't do anything, the beating had drained him of his will to fight back and if Ren didn't do anything, he would die.

"I'll have you killed right now."

He won't stand for this. This had gone on long enough

"Stop this?!" Ren exclaimed. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Hm?" He turned around to face the other prisoner, giving him a vile glare. "What? Don't tell me you don't know who I am."

"I don't, but you know what?" he replied with a glare of his own. "I. Don't. Care."

"GRRRR!" The King growled at the boy's insolence. "It's the same look that brat from earlier gave me... it pisses the fuck off!" He kicked him in the stomach, falling against the wall. "Hold him there… After this piece of shit, it's his turn to die." He turned away to focus on Ryuji.

"Stop!" Ren tried to do something but two knights grabbed a hold of him and pinned him to the wall, preventing him from taking action. "No! Ryuji!"

"I-I don't wanna die." The spiky blonde whimpered as death approached him.

"HAHAHAHAHA!." The King laughed at the boy's pathetic whimpers

 _No. If I don't do something, then Ryuji... Kazuma... they'll..._ As those thoughts of panic entered his head, another voice, unfamiliar to him, entered his mind along with the appearance of a blue butterfly that not even the knights took notice of.

"What the..."

 **This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none**

 **But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you.**

 _Possibility?_ He questioned the words. _Wha...?_

 _ **What's the matter…? Are you simply going to watch?**_

 _What?_ Ren stood silently as he heard another voice rage within him.

 _ **Are you forsaking him to save yourself?**_

 _I..._

 _ **Death awaits him if you do nothing.**_

 _I know. But, I can't..._

 _ **Was your previous decision a mistake then?**_

At that moment, the memories of his arrest flashed through his mind. That drunken man, that girl, she was in trouble. He had to help her and because of that, he kissed his future goodbye.

But he didn't care.

 _It wasn't_. He stood by his decision. Even after everything, he still stood by his choice. _Even if it meant the end of my life, my future, I didn't care, I still don't. I would've done it again. A thousand times over if it meant helping that woman. No matter what, nothing about that decision was a mistake! And I'll gladly risk everything again if it means I can save Ryuji and Kazuma!_

As Ren debated with the voice within him, one of the knights grabbed Ryuji by the neck, hoisting him up, and placed his blade near his chest.

 _ **Very well! I have heeded your resolve!**_

"A-AARGH!" Pain suddenly coursed through him.

 _ **Vow to me.**_

He struggled against the Knights as the pain increased, becoming almost too much to bear.

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou who art willing to perform sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!**_

 _ **Call upon my name, and release thy rage!**_

"AHHHHHH!"

 _ **Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!**_

The pain had disappeared but the rage within him did not. He raised his head and glared at the so-called King.

"Execute him!" The King demanded.

"Hey, Pink Undies!" Ren taunted. "How can you call yourself a King when you're too weak to deal prisoners on your own? You're a joke!"

That really set something off within the bathrobe-wearing King as he turned to face the other prisoner with a look of burning hatred.

"What was that?" He looked at the boy with a vile glare. "What did you just call me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me say it one more time, in case you didn't hear me before." Ren smirked venomously. "You, Pink Undies, are... A. Big. Fat. JOKE!"

"You little...!" The words that came out of this boy's mouth made him angrier than ever. The Knights took notice and the one who was holding Ryuji let him go to focus on the other prisoner. How dare he call him something like that?! He's the King of this Castle. "You really want to die that badly, you little shit!? Fine!" He motioned to the knight on his right that was holding Ren in place. The Knight then hit him square in the face with his shield, knocking his glasses off but even that couldn't wipe the smirk off his face.

"That all you got?" He taunted as he wiped the blood from his lips and a sudden burst of wind erupted from his body, catching the others off guard. But as he wiped the rest of the blood off, he felt something on his face that shouldn't be there. "Huh?"

He reached up and felt something attached to his face. It was a mask. A mask that was there before and should not be there. As he tried to take it off, he felt it stuck to his face. It wouldn't come off but it had to.

It had to come off!

"HRGGGHHH!" He grabbed at the mask with both hands and ripped the mask off with all of his strength. "A-A-AHHHHHHH!"

It felt as if his skin was being ripped off of him but it had to come off. He was successful but he was blinded by the blood now pouring from his eyes.

"Hehe..."

It was funny. How stunned everyone looked at him ripping off that mask. The fear that now entered Kamoshida's eyes as he felt something change within his prisoner.

Ren looked up, that same smirk still plastered on his face as his blood turned into a blue flame that engulfed his entire body

"HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed as the power began to overwhelmed him. He could hear the crackling of chains but not the ones on the wall. No, it came from the new power given to him as the voice that raged within him took a physical form behind him. It wore a red jacket over a black business suit that came with a cravat. His wore a mask that seemed to act as his face, sharing the same confident smirk Ren had, that came with horns and a top hat.

But it wasn't just him that seemed out of place, as Ren's outfit underwent a transformation as well. A black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black jogger-style pants, brown-black winkle-pickers, and a pair of red gloves.

"Heh."

He raised his arms and the being's wings came out of his back, pushing his enemies back with a torrent of wind. Each of them hit the wall with a thud, signifying the end of their lives. Kamoshida crouched in fear as he ran towards the exit fo the cell while Ryuji remained in shock.

"Wha… What the…?" He muttered. "What are you..."

"Relax, Ryuji. I'm alright." Ren assured him. "In fact, I've never felt better!" He stated before turning around to face the entity hovering over him.

 _ **I am the Pillager of Twilight.** **Arsene!**_

"What the…?" Sakamoto said in amazement as he didn't expect that 'thing', whatever it was, to talk.

"Arsene..." His summoner spoke as their eyes met.

 _ **I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis.**_

"In that case." He grinned, ready to show the King and the rest of his goons who's really in control. "What are we waiting for?"

 _ **Hmph, very well.**_

Ren and Arsene turned their attention to the cowardly king who ran outside the cell. Pathetic.

"Who the hell are you?" The King asked.

"Really, I am undeserving of such alarm. I am but a mere high school student." Ren continued to smirk as he saw two of the knights he knocked down earlier get back up. They were still alive. He was going to fix that. "Watch Pink Undies! Cower in fear as I rescue my companions with style from the hands of your poorly trained dogs!"

"Grrrr! Guards!" Having enough of his taunts, he ordered his guards to attack. "Start by killing that one!" And with that, he ran off, leaving his guards to deal with the prisoners. The knights then started shaking uncontrollably before they transfigured into floating pumpkins. Jack-o-Lanterns, each holding a lamp.

"All right then! It's showtime!" Ren, with a flap of his trenchcoat, pulled out what appeared to be a dagger from his belt, ready for a fight.

 _Ryuji, Kazuma, I will save you both!_

"Persona!"

* * *

 **So yeah, this chapter focused mainly on the first day where they enter Kamoshida's palace and gain his Persona. Next chapter will be more Kazuma-centric. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Also, let me know in the reviews how you thought of Ren and Kazuma's first meeting went. Did you like it, hate it, both?**

 **Til next time.**


	4. Lord of Deception

**So the original chapter was around 15,000 so I decided to split it into 2 chapters, I thought this would be a Kazuma-centric chapter but it kinda focuses on both protagonists which is fine by me(probably more of Ren than Kazuma for this particular chapter but it's whatever).**

 **Also, a quick question I'd like to ask others. When you upload your files, are any of you receiving processing errors, because I keep getting them and it's preventing me from uploading files? I was able to upload this by overwriting a copy that I had on file. Let me know if you guys are having this problem too.**

 **Let's start with some shoutouts. First shoutout goes to the myth, the legend himself, the one and only inquisitor of the stars, StevieBond who has their own Persona 5 fic Persona 5 - Operation: AkiBa, an AkiraXFutaba one-shot. Next goes out to JayH120 for their own fic featuring an OC Persona 5: Wolf of the Phantom Thieves. He's currently in the middle of a rewrite of the fic but I ask that you give it and the rewrite a read whenever you can.**

 **Also, for those who didn't read the update I wrote in chapter 3, The Persona 5 Protagonist's name for both the anime and dancing game has been released as Ren Amamiya. While I don't think it's as cool as Akira Kurusu, I'm going to stick with the new name because I like it. As such, Akira's name has been changed to Ren in past chapters. You can still refer to him as Akira in the reviews if you wish as I'll know who you guys are talking about. Nothing about Kazuma is changing though, he's still the same.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the 4th chapter.**

* * *

"ARGHHHHH!"

The Knights continued their torture of the transfer student. They took their time, making each cut count, as they were in no hurry to end his life. The Knights kept him held down even as he struggled while the knight carrying out his punishment kept dragging the tip of his blade across his skin slowly.

"S-STOP IT!" He screamed in agony. The pain was indescribable and they refused to heed his words.

"Get off him!" As for the cat-like creature that was his cellmate, he struggled against the knight pinning him to the wall. He wanted to help his fellow prisoner but couldn't. It didn't have his weapons and the knight's hands at its throat were preventing it from using its power.

The Knight pulled back, looking at his handiwork. His uniform was torn apart, blood starting to seep through. The cuts hadn't been that deep as the punishment was death by torture, thus, he didn't want the prisoner to die from blood loss.

"Guards!" Just then, their King entered the cell.

"My liege." Kazuma's torturer stepped to the side, allowing his King entry.

"So you're still alive, little shit? You're stubborn I'll give you that." He said smugly.

Kazuma looked up, breathing heavily from the pain that was inflicted upon him. That same cold gaze was still etched on the boy's face, not even daring to give this scumbag the satisfaction of seeing him in fear. To show that he wasn't afraid, he spat in his face, causing Kamoshida to backpedal a bit.

"Go... to hell... scumbag." He said, breathing heavily from the pain.

"Tch, piece of shit." The King exclaimed, wiping the spit off his face. "Guards, take him to the central hall. We'll wait for his friends there."

"Yes, my lord." His torturer nodded. "What about the cat?"

"Leave him, I'll deal with him later." The King said as he left the cell.

Abiding by their Kings orders, the guards that were holding Kazuma down begun to carry him, following after their king. The cat was then released by the knight holding him against the wall, unable to chase after them as it gasped for air. The Knight closed the cell, leaving it trapped.

"Crap." The cat-like creature caught its breath. "Brown hair's done for if his friends don't make it."

* * *

"Persona!"

Ren thrust his hand forward towards his foes as one of them came charging at him. A fatal mistake on their part as Arsene roundhoused it, sending it flying into the cell door. It got back up, meaning that it was still alive but severely weakened.

"Stubborn, aren't they?" He noted.

 _ **True, but they should be easy pickings for one such as you.**_

His Persona stated, having faith in his master's abilities

 _ **Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it.**_

"No need to tell me twice," Ren said before deciding to take action. "Go forth, Arsene!"

Commanding his Persona to take charge, Arsene raised his hand, using Eiha to slay the weakened enemy. One down, one left to go. Despite his partner being slain, he came at the probationer. It spun around before attempting to attack him with its lantern. Gripping his dagger tightly, he blocked the attack, struggling against his enemy. Using his strength, he pushed the Jack-o-Lantern off of him.

 _ **Swing your blade!**_

"Hope you're ready for this." Ren grinned as he rushed forward, dagger in hand and sliced right through his remaining foe. The floating pumpkin began shaking uncontrollably before dissolving into nothing.

 _ **This power of mine is yours!** **Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!**_

"But, of course." He said before flapping his coat again and turning to Ryuji. "The show is over." He gave a formal bow, signifying the end of the battle.

"D-Dude. W-What the..." Ryuji muttered as he tried to comprehend what he just witness, or rather, what his cellmate had done. "What was that just now? And... your clothes

"It... it's hard to explain. I don't really know myself." He said. Now with the fighting over, he took a moment to check out his new outfit. But before he could, his new outfit transfigured back into his uniform.

"Whoa, it went back to normal!" The blonde exclaimed. "Seriously, this's effin' nuts!

"Yeah."

He checked himself to make sure that he was still wearing his school uniform. He touched his face to find his glasses once again, a bit stunned considering the broken pair in the corner.

How odd.

He shook it off as it wasn't important. After all, they were still one man short.

"It seems Mr. Pink Undies ran off." He noted. "We need to get out of here and find Kazuma. He's probably in one of these cells. Let's go."

"Y-Yeah." Ryuji got up. "You lead the way."

The two left their cell to look for their missing companion so they can get out of this godforsaken castle. He knew he was late for school but that's important right now. Kazuma's in trouble and he was going to save him.

 _I'm coming Kazuma. Just hold on._

* * *

Sadayo Kawakami sat at her office desk in the faculty office and already, she was not having a good day. Not only was Ren late for school but he didn't even show up to first period. She looked over at the clock to check the time. That didn't help her mood and she sighed in irritation.

"It's fourth period already." She said as she sighed again.

"You too, Sadayo." She heard her co-worker speak. She looked over to see Iona Chouno, sitting at her desk in the same foul mood as her.

"Oh, that's right. You have a transfer student in your class, right Iona?" She asked.

"Yeah. Looks like we're both in the same boat." She said as she leaned her cheek against her hand. "I knew he had a truancy problem but I didn't think he had the audacity to skip his first day."

Sadayo remembered Suguru telling her about the other transfer student, the one who was a frequent truant at his old school and had famous parents. Despite her knowledge of this student, she didn't know much about him and since his homeroom teacher was here, maybe she could find out more.

"Hey, Iona. Can I look through his file?" She asked.

"Knock yourself out." She handed her the file of her newest transfer student. She opened his file and began reading through the contents.

His name was Kei Kazuma and as Suguru said, he had a nasty record of absences. He was late to most of his classes throughout his first year and in some instances, police had to escort him back to school. However, despite his truancy, he turned in homework on time and his test scores were really good. In fact, his tendency to skip was the only negative thing about him. He didn't get into fights and he didn't cause any other problems. She then looked at who was currently taking care of him and her eyes widened.

"Oh wow, his guardian is Tori." She thought as she saw her friend's name in his file. She could only wonder how they know each other. "What about his parents" As she looked for information about them, she quietly gasped before closing the file, chastising herself for looking through a student's private info like that. She handed the file back to Chouno before checking the clock again. "*Sigh* What did I do to deserve this?"

* * *

"Hey, we gotta hide!" Ryuji said as the two ducked behind crates.

They hid from more guards who were looking for them, likely on orders from King Kamoshida. So far, they had gotten nowhere in their search for Kazuma. As they traversed through the dungeon, they checked every cell and could not find him. Plus, they couldn't hear his screams anymore. Even though he was glad that he wasn't going through any more pain, it will now be more difficult to pinpoint his location.

They had to jump over broken bridges, crawl through crawlspaces to get where they are now. Luckily, they hadn't run into any foes. Ren didn't know if he could utilize his power again. Once the coast was clear, the two stood up.

"Damn, that was a close one," Ryuji commented. "I ain't playin' along with this anymore! We gotta find a way outta this goddamn place!"

"I know, but I'm not going anywhere until I find Kazuma," Ren informed him as he motioned him to follow him. The two went up a flight of stairs with Ryuji hoping there was a light at the end of this tunnel. Unfortunately, that light was nowhere to be found as they found themselves in another part of the dungeon and not an exit like the blonde had hoped.

"What the hell is this place!" He complained before looking around. "H-Hey, look." He pointed to another prisoner that was trapped in a cage. the cage was hanging from the ceiling so they had no way of getting to him but it clearly wasn't Kazuma. Not to mention the prisoner's face was obstructed by a helmet. "So we ain't the only ones who got captured. He ain't your friend, you think he's here?"

"Might be," Ren said as they continued on. There was no way to help that prisoner so they couldn't do anything for him at the moment.

They continued on, checking each cell only to find more prisoners that aren't Kazuma. How many people were imprisoned here?

They kept checking but to no avail as they arrived at the end of the cell block.

"Another dead end," Ryuji noted.

"He's got to be here somewhere," Ren said, wanting to keep holding onto the hope that his fellow transfer student is alright.

"Hey, you there!"

Suddenly, their thoughts were broken by a voice that didn't belong to either of them.

"Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Look over here!"

The two looked over to the nearest cell to see some kind of creature calling out to them. It looked like a large cat-like doll with large eyes and a yellow bandana. It struggled against the bars as it addressed them.

"What is this thing!?" Ryuji exclaimed, stunned by the sight of it.

"You guys are friends with Brown Hair, right? Get me out of here!" It pleaded. "Look, the key's right there!"

"Brown Hair?" The probationer questioned before he realized who it was talking about. "Kazuma! You know where he is?!"

"Yeah, he was my cellmate before the King and his goons dragged him out. I'll tell you where he is if you let me out!" It offered.

"O-Okay." He said but Ryuji stopped him.

"Dude, hold on!" He got in the way before turning to the creature. "Why should we let you out, you're obviously an enemy too." The blonde believed.

"I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy? Now, let me out!"

"Quiet down," Ren demanded as he heard footsteps.

"They're catching up," Ryuji noted before pulling out his phone. "Shit, there's still no service. Ain't there no way to contact someone outside?!"

"You want to know where the exit is?" The cat thing questioned. "Let me out and I'll take you there. You don't want to get caught and executed, right?"

"One thing at a time," Ren added. "You said you knew where Kazuma is, right? If we let you out, will you help us find him?"

"I never go back on my word!" It proudly admitted.

"This thing sounds like it's all talk," Ryuji said, a little skeptical about trusting this, well, whatever it is.

"If you guys think you can get out on your own, be my guest." It challenged them.

"Whadda we do?" The blonde asked before noticing the footsteps getting louder. "Are you seriously not messin' with us?!"

"If you don't stop wasting time, your friend is as good as dead." It informed them.

Knowing that it has knowledge of where Kazuma might be and that it knows where the exit is, for now, they had to trust it, for Kazuma and for themselves.

"F-Fine," Ryuji said reluctantly as he grabbed the key and opened the cell, allowing the creature its freedom.

"Ahhh! Freedom tastes so great." It said, relieved to no longer be trapped in that cell.

"Now where's the exit and Amamiya's friend, you monster cat?!" The blonde demanded answers.

"Don't call me a cat! I am Morgana!" He introduced himself.

"Shaddup and hurry up! You wanna get locked up again!?" He threatened the cat-like being.

"A-All right, sheesh!" Morgana relented. "Follow me, and stay quiet!"

He led the others to the small statue of Kamoshida next to the closed up bridge.

"What're you doing?" Sakamoto wondered

"What does it look like. I'm lowering the bridge." He said before turning to Ren. "You, Frizzy Hair. It seems you pick up on things faster than our Blondie over here. Try checking around the mouth of this statue, OK?"

"Alright." He walked over to the statue to see if there was some kind of mechanism on it that could be used to lower the bridge. As he kept looking and found nothing, he grabbed onto it's lower lip and saw that it was loose. "How about this?"

He pulled it down and watched as the bridge lowered, allowing them to cross it safely.

"How were we suppose to know to do that?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Hmph, amateur." Morgana taunted under his breath before motioning them to follow after him. "Come on, let's keep going."

The three continued on and just when they thought they were in the clear, a guard came from around the corner. With the escapees in sight, it readied itself to fight.

"A-Aah! Shit… Shit, it's them!" Ryuji yelled in a panic as he tripped and fell backward.

With danger imminent, Ren didn't notice that his clothes changed back into his coat. As if instinct took over him, he pulled out his dagger, which thankfully was still there, and readied to defend himself and his companions.

"Tch… You amateur!" Morgana insulted as he hopped over Ryuji and stood in front of him to protect him. "Stay still." He commanded before looking over to Ren. "Hey, you! You could fight, right? Let's go!"

"Ready when you are." He nodded.

"Come!" Morgana clenched his fists and looked upward "Zoro!

A blue pillar of light erupted from him. It seems Morgana has a Persona of his own. A muscular figure with a rapier, it sliced a Z into the air with the speed of its blade.

"Y-You got one of those things too!?" Sakamoto asked in awe at seeing another of those things.

"Hmph," The cat-like creature crossed his arms confidently as another guard showed up, both transfiguring into their true forms. A Jack-o-Lantern and a flying bedside brute, otherwise known as an Incubus. "We will promptly shut them up!"

As the Jack-o-Lantern rushed at them, Ren made the first move.

"Arsene!" He reached up to touch his mask and summon his Persona. As he was summoned, it grabbed the floating pumpkin with his hand before kicking it like a soccer ball, sending it into the ceiling. Although he weakened it, it was still alive.

"Hmph, I knew you were an amateur." Morgana playfully mocked.

"Think you can do better?" He challenged.

"Of course! This is how you fight!" He motioned Zoro to attack. The Persona formed a Garu with his blade and sent it over to the Jack-o-Lantern. It had more effect than Arsene's attack as it was unable to move.

"Good job." Ren complemented.

"Naturally." The cat grinned.

While they conversed the Incubus made its move towards Morgana. As it went for an attack, the cat pulling out his own weapon, a short sword to deflect the blow. With his fighting companion struggling against the enemy, Ren had to do something.

"Arsene, now!" He commanded his Persona to attack. He kicked the shadow off of him with Morgana using this chance to cut through the demon with its blade, ending its life and the battle.

With the battle ended, Ren could feel himself and his Persona getting stronger with every fight.

 _I can feel power coursing through me_. He thought before turning his attention to Morgana who put his weapon away.

"Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful." He stated.

"Persona?" Ryuji wondered as he got up. "Y'mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?"

"Yes." The cat nodded. "You saw how Frizzy Hair here ripped off his ripped his mask when he summoned it, right? Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that…"

Before he could continue his explanation, his clothes returned to normal, back to his school uniform.

"Huh?" The spiky blonde noticed. "He turned back to normal."

"It looks like you don't have full control over your power yet." Morgana theorized. "The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all-"

"That's enough!" Sakamoto grumbled loudly, realizing they were getting off track. Plus, this whole Persona business was confusing him. "This crap doesn't make any sense!"

Morgana frowned, face filled with annoyance and irritation.

"Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie!?" He chastised.

"Don't call me Blondie! My name's Ryuji." He stated.

"Cmon guys, we're getting off track here," Ren interjected. "Look, you said you knew where Kazuma is right? Well, where is he?"

"If he's not in any of these cells, he's probably up ahead. Let's keep moving!" It stated before pulling something out of its pockets. "Here, take these. Use them carefully, OK?"

The cat gave him three bottles of painkillers, where he got them he had no idea but that wasn't important. He placed them in his coat pockets as they continued on.

They ventured forth in an attempt to find their lost companion and an exit. As they made some progress, Morgana interjected.

"The entrance hall's this way. That's likely where they have Brown Hair."

"Then let's hurry up," Ren said before noticing that Ryuji was focused on one particular prisoner. "Ryuji?

"I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before…" He said as he noticed the prisoner, on the ground in pain, wearing what appeared to be an athletic uniform. "Damn it! I'm too flustered! I can't remember a damn thing!"

"Come on, let's go!" Morgana commanded, outright ignoring the prisoner.

"Hold on, dammit!" The spiky blonde stopped the cat in his tracks. "Who are these guys? Why are they trapped here?

"If you have time to worry about others, then you have time to focus on your friend, now stop wasting time and let's go!" He harshly commanded, not giving the prisoner a passing thought.

"But, we can't just leave them here!" He continued to argue.

"You really don't get it, do you?" The cat sighed in irritation. "Fine, stay here and try to help them but if Brown Hair dies, then it's on you for wasting time. Can you live with that?"

"Y-You...!" He growled, getting tired of this thing's attitude.

"Ryuji, calm down." Ren interrupted. "I don't like this either but there's nothing we can do for them at the moment. Right now, we need to find Kazuma."

"B-But." He sighed before relenting. "Dammit. Fine, I'm coming."

The two crossed the bridge on the way to the entrance hall. Hopefully, their lost companion is still alive and well.

* * *

"Argh!" Kazuma struggled against the knights that were holding onto him. King Kamoshida had brought him to the entrance hall to wait for those thieves, using their companion as leverage.

"Even after all you went through, you still resist." The King sighed. "You're one stubborn piece of shit, I'll give you that."

"L-Let me go!" He continued to struggle, eyes glaring holes into the King.

"Annoying pest!" He then smacked him across his the face with his backhand.

"Ah!" He winced in pain. They've been at it for a while but Kazuma refused to give this scumbag the satisfaction of begging for his life. "W-Where are the others?!" He demanded.

"You're friends should be here soon." The King grinned evilly. "If you're a good boy, maybe I'll let you live long enough to watch my knights cut them down."

"Y-You...!" Before he could retort he heard footsteps coming from the opposite side of the room.

"Kazuma!" Everyone's attention was turned to the new arrivals. As he looked over at them, he saw Amamiya along with that vulgar blonde and that creature that was with him in his cell.

"A-Amamiya." He muttered.

"What the hell did you assholes do to him?!" Ryuji exclaimed as he noticed the cuts on his chest.

"Great, you finally arrived," Kamoshida sneered. "You damn thieves have annoyed me for the last time. You're going to die here and your friend's going to watch."

"Let him go!" Ren demanded.

"S-Stop." Kazuma continued to struggle.

"Tch, even now! Why can't you just shut up?!" Kamoshida kicked the boy in the chest as hard as he could, knocking him out of the knight's grip and knocking the wind out of him.

"A-AH!" His back hit the ground hard as he clutched his stomach in pain.

"No!" Just then, Ren's clothes transfigured back into his coat, pulling out his dagger in an attempt to help him. Morgana pulled out his blade, joining him while Ryuji stood back.

"Piece of garbage," Kamoshida noted. "No matter. Stay where you are, pest. I'll deal with you later." He then turned his attention to the others before snapping his fingers. With that, more guards started showing up, almost too many for them to handle.

"Shit!" Ryuji panicked.

"Damn, There's too many of them." The cat noticed.

"As I said." The King crossed his arms and smirked. "No one is allowed to do as they please in my castle. You may have gotten this far, but now it's over."

This was bad. They were outnumbered. Even if they turned into their original forms, it would be almost too much to handle. Especially with Kazuma and Ryuji not being Persona-users. They would be vulnerable if one decides to go after them.

Before Ren could come up with a plan, He noticed that Kazuma was struggling to get up.

As the boy did his best to get up on his two feet, he backed away, getting some distance from the others. He knew what those knights were capable of, they would most surely kill Amamiya and the others if he didn't do something soon. He could just run and leave them to their fate but if he didn't do something then they were going to die.

...

 _Die._

As that thought repeated itself in his mind, he could feel himself watching it all over again. That day, when he watched the two most important people in his life die in front of him again and again and again. He clenched his fist as his fear faded, there was no way in hell he let something like that happen again.

 _Never again._

"N-No." He muttered as that thought entered his head. "S-Stop. Get away from them."

Ren noticed his knees wobbling, his body was probably in serious pain from whatever they put him through. But still, he stood tall and demanded that they leave them alone.

"What?" The King turned around and saw him standing. "Are you deaf, you little shit? I told you to stay down."

"I-I won't." He proclaimed. "I won't let you kill them."

"Kazuma, stop!" Ren yelled out. "They'll kill you!"

"S-Shut up, Amamiya." He fired back. "I don't n-need your help here."

"You're are a serious pain in the ass, you know that?" The king sighed. "Why do you even care, shithead? You were just telling me earlier that they weren't your friends."

"That..." True, they were not his friends. "I..."

"Then shut up and stay down. I'll deal with you later." He ordered before motioning his guards to re-focus on the others again. Hearing this piece of shit order him around like he was some underling at his beck and call was the last straw. Now that he's free from those knights, he wasn't going to let him win.

"S-Shut up! Shut your mouth!" Kazuma yelled at the King for his absurd order. "I don't know who you are, but I'm not someone you can push around! No one tells me what to do, no one! Now leave them alone! Get away from them!

"K-Kazuma?" Ren noticed the venom coming off his words. He knew he was mad but where did this touch of concern come from?

"What did you just say?" The King turned around once again, sneering at the boy's defiance. "You want to die that badly?"

Seeing their King now focused on him, the knights turned away from the others and focused solely on Kazuma. Amamiya and the others were safe and they weren't going to kill them. Even with the threat at hand, he wasn't going to let these freaks hurt anyone.

And with that, something inside him just snapped. With all eyes on him, he just lost it

"If you want to kill someone? KILL ME!"

...

...

 _ **So, you've finally come to, foolish child.**_

In that moment, a wave of indescribable pain coursed through Kazuma's head. The other watched his eyes turned bright yellow.

 _ **You accepted a life of loneliness, yet your very soul denied it. A clever trick indeed, yet a waste of your talents.**_

 _ **Tell me, if it was solitude you desired, why risk your life for mere peasants like them?**_

The pain got worse and it wouldn't let up. He let out a loud scream as he bunched up his hair with his hands and fell to his knees. Seeing him like this caused Kamoshida and his guards to take a step back, fearing what would happen if they got too close.

 _ **The longer you continue to live like this, the more you will suffer.**_

 _ **Since everyone's seen through you already, discard this pitiful loner facade and take up a new identity.**_

 _ **The real you yearns for it.**_

The pain only grew. He slammed his fist into the ground, cracking the floor as he continued to scream.

 _ **The contract is set.**_

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou with nothing to lose hast much more to gain.**_

 _ **Don your new mask, discard the laws of others and follow your own set of rules.**_

 _ **With your two hands, regain what was lost to you and take what is rightfully yours!**_

"Yes." Kazuma looked up at King Kamoshida and his guards, a dark green mask appeared on his face that hid his wicked glare.

He stood up, closed his eyes, and raised his hand.

"Per…" He then placed it on his mask. "so…" He clenched his free hand and looked at his enemies with a menacing scowl. "NAAAAAAAA!"

He ripped off his mask with all the strength he had as blue flame engulfed his body. Everyone in the room felt the incredible force emitting from the fire. After a while, as the blue flames started to fade, they were able to see that he was still alive. He stood silently with his eyes closed. Only this time, his clothes had changed much like Ren's. Instead of his ripped school uniform, he wore a sleeveless Dark Green suit with a hood that complimented his mask from earlier along with a pair of Dark Green compression armbands. The suit had two colored lines that ran down from the shoulders, two on the front, and two on the back, one red, and one white. He had two swords sheathed on his back and two empty holsters, one on each hip.

Along with his outfit came with what was indubitably, his Persona. It had its arms crossed and two sheathed blades on its hips. Its eyes were covered by black sunglasses but it came with a very sadistic smile. It's outfit consisted of a black dress shirt covered by a dark green suit jacket with a similar color scheme as Kazuma's with many red, white and black lines running through its dark green dress pants along with a pair of black boots and a Dark Green fedora.

"Kazuma." Ren's eyes widened as he watched his fellow transfer student unlock the power of Persona. "Y-You're."

"Oh, cmon?!" Ryuji groaned out loud. "He has one too!"

"What the!" The King yelled in fear from the newly awakened power.

 _ **I am the Lord of Deception, Ulysses!**_

He heard persona declared. Kazuma looked over his shoulder and their eyes met.

 _ **These pitiful pathetic cowards dare to order you around?! How audacious! Give the word, and we shall show them who's really in control.**_

"Hmph." He turned to face the King and his guards. After what these monsters put him through, enough was enough. He wanted blood. "Ready."

"Tch, enough words! Guards!" Kamoshida commanded and his guards slammed their blades down, turning into their true forms, Jack O'Lanterns all around, led by one Kelpie and an Incubus. "Kill him! Kill him now!" He yelled before running away.

"You want a fight, huh?" He popped his neck ready to fight, the guards' new forms didn't faze him in the slightest. "Let's go!"

The Kelpie came at him with the intent to kill. With a flick of his fingers, he commanded his Persona. Ulysses uncrossed his arms and kicked the shadow in the face, sending it flying into other shadows. The Jack-O-Lanterns gathered around, preparing to surround him.

"Kazuma!" Ren was prepared to rush over and help him

But he didn't need it.

"Hmph." With the flick of his finger, Ulysses pulled down his sunglasses and his eyes started to glow. Using Mahama, all the Jack-O-Lanterns around him died from the power of his Persona's light.

The others watched in awe as Kazuma dispatched the floating pumpkins but then noticed that the Incubus had gotten behind him.

Before they could warn him, He pulled out one of his blades and then spun around, slicing through it.

"That was payback," He said, remembering what the Incubus was before he revealed his true form as the knight that had tortured him.

He wasn't out of the woods yet, a few enemies remained. It was time to finish them off.

"Ulysses. Kill them all." He commanded.

The Persona pulled out his blades and rushed towards all of them, cutting through each one. He was too fast for all them, as each was cut down, Kazuma felt satisfied as their deaths brought closure to all the pain these monsters put him through.

"Die!" Just then as his Persona was busy cutting off enemies, he watched as a Kelpie rushed toward him. He could handle this, he thought. He pulled out his second blade as the shadow attacked him. He hopped over the horse, before landing behind it. He then turned around and went for an attack of his own. He plunged his blades into the back still alive Kelpie and it cried out in pain. He lifted the shadow into the air before cutting through it, pushing the blades in opposite directions.

With that done, the battle was over. He sheathed his blades and looked over to see the others still in their position. They hadn't moved a muscle after Kazuma unleashed his vengeance onto these monsters. The rest of the shadows were all dead, Ulysses had made sure of it. He looked up to see his Persona flying over him, returning to his arms-crossed posture.

"Per-so-na." He muttered.

 _ **Do not deny what you feel any longer, child. You know the truth behind the lies. Embrace it.**_

"Hmph, what do you know?" Kazuma scoffed, walking past it. With no threats imminent, Ulysses vanished and returned to its master as a mask.

"Kazuma!" Ren and the others rushed over to him. "Thank god, you're okay."

"Amamiya?" He questioned as he took note of the outfit he was wearing. "What's with the fancy duds?"

"Right back at you." He fired back.

"Hmm?" He said before noticing his change in attire. "What is this?

"It's the result of awakening to your power, your Persona," Morgana interjected.

"You again?" Kazuma noticed the cat creature was used to be his cellmate before pulling out his blade and pointing it at him. "Are you one of them?"

"Whoa, I'm on your side, Brown Hair!" He stated.

"It's okay, Kazuma. He's been helping us. In fact, he's the reason we found you." The probationer stepped in front of him, protecting his new companion.

"Hmph, if you say so." He sheathed his blade once more before looking around. "Looks like the King ran off. Too bad, I wasn't done yet."

"Let's not stick around to wait for him to come back with more guards." His fellow transfer student said.

"Noted." He nodded. "So, do any of you know how to get out of here?"

"This cat says he knows where the exit is." Ryuji brought up.

"I am not a cat!" Morgana argued. "Cmon, this way."

The cat went over to the opposite side of the room with Ryuji following after him. Before he could take another step, Kazuma stopped him in his tracks.

"You trust that thing?" He asked.

"I do. He's been helpful so far and he lead us to you after all." Ren informed him.

"I didn't need your help." He replied before heading over to the others.

"Sure you didn't." He rolled his eyes and he went after the others.

* * *

As Morgana led the three into the end of the hallway, he turned to face them.

"Alright, we're here." He said.

"Finally! We're saved!" Ryuji said with a sigh of relief before rushing to the door on the right and tried to open it. He wasn't having any luck as it was locked. "It's not opening!" He then turned to face the cat. "D'you trick us you jerk?!"

"Don't jump to conclusions!" Morgana smirked. "Over here."

He opened the door and motioned the three to enter. Once they did they still found no way out.

"Where are we supposed to get out from here!? There aren't even any windows!" The blonde exclaimed.

"Ugh, do you ever shut up and just think, amateur." The cat sighed in annoyance. "This is the most basic of basics."

"You're talking about the ventilation shaft, right?" Ren pointed towards what he was referring to and the creature smiled at him approvingly.

"That's right! As I thought, you're a natural at this." He complimented.

"Then what are we waiting for? Shut up and let's get going," Kazuma spoke impatiently as he climbed up the bookcase and removed the metallic grate.

"Is he always such an asshole?" Ryuji whispered.

"He's not that bad." Ren defended.

Once the gate was off, it hit the ground, making a loud noise.

"Oh crap, the enemy didn't hear us, did they?" Sakamoto questioned, not wanting to stay to find out. "Seriously, we're finally gettin out of here!"

"You should probably wait on celebrating until you actually get out. Now get going!" He rushed them.

"But… what about you?" The blonde questioned.

"There's something that I still have to do." He told them. "We're going our separate ways."

"I see, in that case." Ren held out his hand to the cat-like creature. "Thank you so much for your help, Morgana. If we ever meet again, I promise to repay you for saving us."

The cat didn't expect such kindness or gratitude but he couldn't help but smile as the boy gave his thanks.

"I'll hold you to that one day." He then shook the boy's hand firmly. "See ya."

"If you guys are done wasting time, I'm getting out of here," Kazuma said as he left went on without them. Ryuji and Ren followed after and as they left, Morgana remained, thinking on his former companions.

"Those three seem useful. Especially the frizzy-haired one, if my judgment's right." He thought fondly of the boy's natural talent with the Persona and his ability to fight. "Brown-Hair has some talent too. But, there's something... off about him."

* * *

 **So like I said before, I wrote out this chapter and it ended up being over 15,000 words so I split it in half into two chapters. Expect chapter 5 to be up soon.**

 **Til next time.**


	5. New Student Lives

**And here we have chapter 5, it's mostly dialogue since most of it's about their first day at school. This chapter's a lot longer because I had to split it into two parts, the first being chapter 4 and the second being this chapter. Since I'm showing off both Ren and Kazuma introducing themselves to their respective classes.**

 **So, it appears the fixed the problems people were having with uploading files, I'm very thankful for that as I believed it was only happening to me so I'm glad that issue is resolved.**

 **So I heard that the upcoming dancing games for both Persona 5 and Persona 3 lack the story mode that Persona 4: Dancing All Night had. I'm a bit disappointed but I hear they have a good replacement for the story mode so I'm willing to take their word for it.**

 **Let's start with some shoutouts. First one goes to GameAndAnimeFreak for their fic _The Small Moments We Shared_. Next one goes to DigiFoxO for their fic _Persona 5 - Toast to the Queen_.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the 5th chapter.**

* * *

The three made their way out of the castle, they backtracked their way back to where they first met, at Jeunesse et Beaute when the world around them began to change.

Soon enough, the distortions cleared up and they found themselves back in the real world.

They gasped for air, breathing heavily from sprinting all the way to their location.

"Did we make it?" Ryuji questioned before looking around and see people walk past them.

"We're definitely back in the real world, that's for sure," Ren said before turning to his fellow transfer student, noticing something different. "Kazuma, your uniform."

"Huh?" He looked down and saw his uniform back to its original state as if it was never torn from the torture they endured. "How... strange." He said as he clutched his chest, the pain still there. Faint, but still there.

"Here." He reached into his pocket and as it turns out, he still had the painkillers Morgana gave him. He pulled out some medicine and gave it to him. "This will numb the pain."

Kazuma looked at the medicine Amamiya offered him and took it without question, putting it in his mouth and swallowing it. Anything to get rid of this feeling.

 **You have returned to the real world.**

Ren heard a voice coming from his pocket. The other two heard it and looked on as he pulled out his cellphone to check the source of the voice.

 **Welcome back.**

"Huh? Returned…?" Ryuji scratched his head in confusion. "Does that mean we got away?"

"I would say so." The probationer looked around and saw citizens going about their everyday lives. They were definitely back.

"I dunno what to think anymore." Sakamoto sighed in irritation. "What was all that anyway? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! The hell's going on!?"

"What's with the yelling? Are you students of Shujin?" Just then, two police officers approached the three, one of them on a bicycle. "Cutting classes, are we?"

"Huh? No!" The blonde panicked, trying to explain the situation. "We were tryin' to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!"

"Don't tell them that, idiot," Kazuma whispered harshly.

"What?" One of the officers said before sighing. "Alright, hand over your bag. You better have not been doing any drugs."

"Why would you think that!?" Ryuji exclaimed defensively.

"Apologies, Officers. This is a simple misunderstanding." Ren interjected. It was time to defuse the situation and his companions weren't helping. "I encountered this student on our way to school and he was clutching his stomach in pain. Me and my friend here escorted him to a doctor to get him checked out. They gave him some medicine and he's been saying strange things since he left, something about a castle and a talking cat."

Kazuma watched as his fellow transfer student quickly defused the situation professionally and convincingly. How impressive. The only thing that could ruin it is if Sakamoto opens his mouth again, but the blonde looked a bit stunned at the story he told the cops, even though it was half-true.

"What he said," Kazuma said in agreement.

"Anyway, we apologize for taking your time." He bowed to the two before motioning the others to follow. "Cmon guys, let's hurry."

"Y-Yeah." The blonde hurried after him along with Kazuma.

They two transfer students both knew they were likely going to contact the school about this and while it would be easier taking the shortcut again, they didn't want to risk ending up in that castle again.

One thing is for sure though.

 _Sakura-san is not going to be happy._

* * *

The three arrived at the school in utter confusion. Yes, the gate did read Shujin Academy but it was the actual school itself and not the castle they had just escaped from. While they were glad they didn't end up in that place again, it was still confusing nonetheless

"Is this for real?" Sakamoto himself couldn't believe it. "What's going on here?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you." Just then, the guidance counselor came out of the school with his arms crossed, looking at the blonde with a disapproving expression."We received a call from the police."

"That damn cop snitched on us after all!" Ryuji kicked the ground in annoyance.

"It was unavoidable," Ren whispered.

"Hmm." He noticed the other two with him. "It's rare not to see you alone. Where were you roaming around until this time?"

"Uhh... a c-castle?" He said.

"What did I just say earlier?" Kazuma groaned at his stupidity.

"So you have no intention of giving me an honest answer?" The counselor questioned.

"What's this about a castle?" They heard another speak up and as he walked over to the teacher's side, the three recognized him.

"K-Kamoshida?!" Ryuji backpedaled seeing him again, especially after what happened in the castle. Ren kept his calm, knowing the person he was seeing wasn't the same person they saw in the castle. On the other hand, Kazuma glared holes into him as the mere sight of him reminded him of the King that caused him pain.

"You seem so carefree, Sakamoto." The man took note of. "Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team."

That must've triggered a reaction as Ryuji's face darkened, one full of absolute hate. Ren took notice of it and wondered just what was his deal with this guy.

"Shaddup! It's your fault that-"

"How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida!" The counselor interrupted. "There's not much leeway left for you, you know?"

"He's the one that provoked me!" He argued.

 _Sounds like he's got a grudge_. Kazuma took note of the venom spilling from his mouth.

"Do you really want to be expelled?!" He threatened. "In any case, you'll have to explain yourself. Follow me."

"What?! This is bullshit!" Ryuji wouldn't let up as he continued to be defensive.

"Come now. I should've been more considerate too." Kamoshida chuckled as he attempted to defuse the situation. "Let's just say that we were both to blame."

"Well, if you say so." The counselor relented. "Still you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you're extremely late."

"Tch, fine." With everyone calmed down, Ryui relented as well.

Kamoshida then took notice of the other two students with him, recognizing who they are.

"By the way." He spoke to the individuals in question. "You two. You're are the new transfer students, correct? Ren Amamiya and... Kei Kazuma, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes, sir." Ren nodded while Kazuma chose to remain silent.

Ryuji walked up the steps, following after the counselor but not before giving Kamoshida a wicked glare as he walked right past him. The teacher gave a scoffing sound as the boy walked by him. He turned his attention back to the two new students.

"Say, have we met somewhere before?" He wondered.

"This morning, you offered that girl a ride." Ren pointed out.

"Hmm?" He scratched his head before his eyes widened. "Oh, that's right. This morning." He said in remembrance. "Well, I'll overlook this just for today." He said before giving him a serious look. "Just to be clear, Amamiya-san. I'm sure you've heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you'll be expelled. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded. While he could've offered a witty retort, he chose to keep it simple, for now. After all, this guy's a teacher.

"And as for you, Kazuma-san." He turned to the other student. "The faculty has already been informed about your truancy streak from your last school. Do the staff and yourself a favor and come to class on time from now on. Got it?"

"Sure." He replied, wanting this man to get out of his sight.

"At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami and Ms. Chouno are tired of waiting." He said before turning around, looking over his shoulder and giving the two a smug look. "Good luck trying to enjoy your new school lives." And with that, he went back into the building.

 _Sarcasm? What's this man's game?_ Ren wondered, that last remark was sort of a challenge. What was that about?

"Well..." He turned to his companion. "Shall we?"

"Whatever." The two entered the school, ready for the scolding that awaited them.

...

...

* * *

...

...

He continued his story, from when he entered his first palace to when he arrived at school. Judging from the look on her face, Sae was in disbelief, wondering if the drugs those bastards gave him were getting to him.

"The school turned into an old castle?" She remarked. "A talking cat?"

"Surprised?" He found the look on her face to be amusing.

"..Are you hallucinating from an overdose? I won't put up with you if you're simply joking around." She warned him.

"You want my story, I'm giving it to you." He told her. "I told you at the start 'whether you choose to believe or not is your choice'. Not my fault if you weren't paying attention."

"Tch." She clicked her tongue in irritation at his smart mouth before checking her watch. "I'm going to have you continue the story."

"What else do you want to know?" He asked.

"The one who received a "calling card" from the Phantom Thieves was an Olympic medalist." She removed showed him a picture of the man she was talking about. "An alumnus from Shujin Academy, the PE teacher Suguru Kamoshida." She said before choosing her next words carefully as the details of his case were utterly revolting. "It's true that what he did were deplorable crimes from… indulging his desire. He confessed to it all. But there should've been no connection between the two of you since you had just transferred."

"That's what you think." He remarked.

"Then why did you target him?" She asked.

"You asked me to relay my story. That's what I'm doing. One step at a time, Sae." He said but that didn't convince her as she slammed her hands on the table and stood up.

"That's unacceptable! Try and recall it once again!" She demanded.

"Calm down and I'll tell you," He said and she relented, sinking back into the chair. "Me and Reaper went to the faculty office, ready to begin our new student lives."

"Yes, about that." She interrupted once more. "This "Reaper" you keep referring to. Would this be the Grim Reaper? Your partner?"

"We're not talking about that right now." He told her. "Anyway, we arrived and our respective homeroom teachers scolded us..."

...

...

* * *

"... and that's why we're late." Ren had explained the situation the two. When he and Kazuma arrived, Kawakami sighed and Ms. Chouno gave the two a glare of disapproval. When asked, Ren made up the same story he gave to the cops, hoping it relieves him and his fellow transfer student of any trouble.

"While I applaud you both for helping a fellow student, it's almost lunchtime." Ms. Chouno scolded.

"Sorry." Kazuma gave a half-hearted apology, looking away from their gazes.

"And to think you're both late." She remarked.

"I apologize." Ren bowed to the two. "I was the one who asked Kazuma to help, the fault is mine."

"Amamiya." He looked over and watched as his fellow transfer student helped him by taking the blame. Not that he needed it.

"Calm down, Amamiya-kun. Since it was to help a fellow student, we'll overlook this." Ms. Kawakami stated. "But pull yourself together, you were given a fair warning yesterday."

"You as well, Kazuma-san. Principal Kobayakawa warned you about our attendance policy." Ms. Chouno continued to scold him.

"More importantly." Kawakami continued. "I heard that you two were caught along with that Sakamoto-kun."

"That Sakamoto-kun?" Ren questioned at the way she spoke his name as if it was sort of taboo.

"Don't get involved with him, OK? He's nothing but trouble." She warned them about Ryuji.

 _What kind of teacher says that about a student?_ Ren noted, his respect for Ms. Kawakami was slowly starting to diminish.

"Don't be so hard on him, Sadayo." Ms. Chouno intervened. "That's my student you're talking about."

"Sorry." She apologized. "He wasn't like that when he was devoting his time to track and field though."

 _He's an athlete. No wonder he was good at running_. Ren thought

"Anyway, break time's almost over." Chouno stood up. "Let's go, Kazuma-san."

"Right." He followed her.

"Later, Kazuma," Ren said his goodbye but he didn't reply as he followed Ms. Chouno out of the classroom.

"Are you two friends?" His homeroom teacher asked.

"Something like that." He simply said. To be honest, he didn't know where he stood with Kazuma. That guy appears standoffish and mean but after what happened in the castle, he didn't know what to think of him or their relationship.

"I see." She said. "Anyway, classes will end after fifth period because of the subway accident. I'll have you introduce yourself when class resumes." She stood up. "Follow me."

She led him out of the faculty office as they made their way to her classroom.

"By the way, when you introduce yourself." She stopped in the hallway and turned to face him. "Be serious about it even if you're lying to class, OK? Do NOT say anything unnecessary."

"I'll do my best, Ms." He adjusted his glasses as he reassured her, as they continued, he heard some students who passed him make remarks about him.

 _It's showtime._

* * *

Shiho Suzui sat in class as she waited for Ms. Chouno to show up. She wondered what the hold up was as she was always prepared for class on time. She saw the classroom door open only to see Ryuji enter the class, slumping down on his desk and he sighed in exhaustion. She hadn't seen him all day and he was really late.

"Did you see that? Sakamoto is late." One of the students said.

"Seriously? You think any college is ever going to accept him with the way he acts."

"Forget about him. We don't need to waste a moment of our lives worrying about that loser."

As she overheard her classmates talk, she watched her class' representative approach Ryuji.

"Sakamoto-kun?"

"Yeah?" He lifted his head to meet her eyes.

"Care to explain your tardiness?" She crossed her arms.

"Ugh, long story Matsumoto." He grumbled, hoping she'll just leave.

"Well don't do it again. When a student is late, the class rep is the one the teacher scolds. Keep that in mind next time." She finished her scolding and returned to her seat.

Shiho couldn't help but admire Emi Matsumoto's dedication to her duties as Class 2-E representative. Even so, she wished she wasn't too hard on Sakamoto.

"Ouch, looks like our favorite Newspaper Girl grilled Sakamoto a new one."

"Serves him right."

"Hey guys, I hear we're getting a new transfer student in this class."

"The one in the rumors?"

"No, it's someone else."

"Two transfer students? This is gonna be confusing."

 _A transfer student?_ She had heard about two new transfer students coming to Shujin early this morning. One of which was supposedly a criminal who assaulted someone. Although now people are saying that he's a yakuza underling or that he smokes on a daily basis so she didn't know what to believe.

But the one in this class was going to be someone else entirely. She wondered who it could be.

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted as Ms. Chouno entered the classroom, the students were struck silent as she took her place at her desk.

"Hello class, I apologize for being late." She said. "I would like to take this time to introduce our newest transfer student. You can come in now!"

At her order, the transfer student walked in. He stood at the front of the class and the moment Shiho saw him, she gasped lightly but kept it hidden from everyone else.

 _Oh my god_. She said in complete shock. To think of the irony of having _him_ of all people in her class. _It's him. The boy from the train station._

* * *

As Kazuma stood at the front, looking at his class, he could hear some of them making comments about him. He frowned in annoyance at the thought of being the newest thing to gossip about which didn't go unnoticed by his classmates.

"This guy's the transfer student?"

"He doesn't look very friendly."

As he scanned the classroom, he caught sight of the spiky blonde from earlier, Sakamoto, who was staring at him in shock upon finding out that they would be classmates.

Great, the moron's in this class too? He groaned annoyingly. _I do not need this right now_

His frown grew as he heard them talk about him. As he looked around the room he noticed Ryuji was here but ignored him as he was already informed that they were going to be in the same class. But as he looked to his left, his eyes met someone he believed he wasn't going to meet ever again. He almost couldn't believe the coincidence. That same girl from the station the other day was in this class and was staring at him in disbelief.

 _Oh, crap. It's that girl again._ He remembered her, that black ponytail being a dead giveaway. He had thought they would never see each other again but if that look in her eye was any indication, she probably remembered him too.

"Anyway." Ms. Chouno cleared her throat, silencing her students. "Please introduce yourself to the class."

His eyes refocused on the entire class. Looking at them, he knew just who he was dealing with, rumormongers, gossip hounds, and idiots, all the same. Just being in the same room as them and having to look at them was absolutely repulsive. He closed his eyes and forced out an introduction.

"Kei Kazuma."

He gave a simple introduction which caused more whispers about him.

"What kind of introduction is that?"

"I don't like him. He's kind of... scary."

"Is there anything you'd like to tell us about yourself, Kazuma-san?" Ms. Chouno continued.

"No."

"Well, alright then." She said, ready to continue class. "Please take your seat. It's right over there."

As she pointed to her seat, it was a window seat which he was thankful for as he could focus on other things besides a teacher's boring lectures. The only offside is that he's seated right next to none other than his former spiky blonde companion.

Oh, well.

He ignored the gossip and looks people were giving him as he walked over to his seat.

"Yo." He heard Ryuji greet him.

He didn't reply, he just sat down in his desk and kept his focus on the outside, resting his cheek against the palm of his hand, wanting to drown out this horrible day and escape to his daydreams.

"Hey, dude." And yet, he continued. Kazuma simply turned to face him, hoping if he gave him just an ounce of his attention, he'll leave him alone. "Meet me on the roof after class. I want to talk about... you know."

He knew what he was referring to and while he could've just ignored his request, he did want answers, especially considering he was almost tortured to death by a bunch of Knight looking monsters.

He noticed a few students were giving him looks and talking about him.

"Geez, what a grump. What's his problem?"

"Don't know, he's kind of a jerk, isn't he?"

"Well, better him than that criminal."

Criminal?

Those words confused him, were they referring to Amamiya? Why would they say about him?

"A transfer student with a criminal record and now this guy? Our school's not catching a break anytime soon."

"Got that right. I heard he smokes and carries a knife around. This guy's done it all."

"Really, cause I've heard..."

A criminal record? Now that caught him off guard. They were definitely talking about Amamiya. Looking past all the nonsense they were saying about him, what he gathered from their chatter was how Amamiya assaulted someone, that he almost killed a guy.

 _Amamiya's got a criminal record, huh?_ That sounded so stupid, it almost made him laugh. _What a joke. No way that goody-two-shoes is a criminal._

* * *

Ren entered the class and stood at the front. As he faced his classmates, many started to chat amongst themselves. They weren't exactly being quiet about their gossip as he was able to pick out what they were saying.

"Being super late on his first day? He really is insane…"

"He looks normal though..."

"But he might slug us if we look him in the eye…"

The comments caught him off guard, from what he gathered it would appear that his classmates are aware of who he is, or rather, what he is.

 _So, seems like someone spilled the beans about my situation_. He adjusted his glasses, not really fazed about this turn of events. It was unsettling sure, but there was nothing he could about it.

As he looked around, there were a few students that caught his eye. One, in particular, was the only one in the classroom not wearing the blazer, but rather Shujin Academy's standard winter uniform. His blue-tinted hair made him stand out from the rest but what was noticeable was the bruise on his face and the fact he was looking away as if to ignore Ren's presence in the classroom.

He looked around some more only to find another student that not only stood out by appearance but also by familiarity.

 _Oh, Takamaki-san's here too_. He noticed the blonde from earlier sitting by the window who seemed surprised that he was here.

"Settle down." Ms. Kawakami demanded, signaling her students to quiet down and breaking Ren from his observations. "Well, I'd like to introduce a transfer student. Today we had him... attend from the afternoon on since he had to help a fellow student who got sick. Now then, please say something to the class."

Giving Amamiya control of the class, he stepped forward and swallowed ht nerves away, first impressions were always important after all. He gave a polite smile to the class before giving his introduction.

"Hello everyone, my name is Ren Amamiya." He gave a formal bow to the class. "Let's have a great year together."

His introduction seemed to have produced even more gossip as people wondered if this guy really is as the rumors say he is.

"He seems nice… but I bet when he loses it."

"I mean, he was arrested for assault, right?"

"...Uhh, so…" The continued gossip appeared to throw Kawakami off guard. "Your seat will be… Hmm… Over there. The one that's open." She pointed to the open seat near the window, right behind Takamaki. "Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with him for today?"

"This sucks…"

He had a feeling no one was going their textbooks with him today.

 _Oh well, let's get to it._

It was time for class to get started. He placed his hands in his pockets and made his way to his seat. The moment he passed by Takamaki's breath, he heard her say something under her breath.

"Lies."

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow, stopping at the desk in front of his. She probably didn't expect him to hear her say that as their eyes met.

"U-Um!" Takamaki muttered, chiding herself for not being quieter. "H-Hi again." She said, greeting him. Despite what her classmates were saying about him, she had her doubts.

He didn't say anything, simply a smile and a nod before seating himself down behind her.

It appears their familiarity with each other didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the classmates as they started talking some more. He could overhear the conversation going on between the students seated next to him

"Did you catch that? Do those two know each other?"

"Oooh, are those two a thing?"

"That means she's cheating on Mr. Kamoshida? Then again, this is Takamaki-san we're talking about."

"For real, that slut has no shame at all. Glad I'm not on that side of the classroom."

 _What did she just say?_ Did he hear them just right? What was that about? Why were they saying such horrible things about Takamaki? As he looked in front of him, he saw Takamki looking away, clearly able to hear everyone talking about her and Ren. She sighed sadly, almost as if this was routine. He couldn't help but feel responsible as it was because he stopped at her desk that they began talking about them. He leaned forward so that only she could hear him.

"Sorry." He whispered.

She heard him apologize and knew what he was referring to. She simply glanced over her shoulder before whispering back.

"Don't worry about it."

And with that, the two turned their focus back to Kawakami who silenced her class once again.

"Oh, right! The volleyball rally's in two days. Everyone's just changed classes, so make sure you use that time to get to know each other." She announced before beginning the lecture. "Well, then let's get class started. Who's on duty today?"

The boy with blue-tinted hair stood up.

"Everyone, please rise."

* * *

When class finally ended, many students hurried out of the classroom. Ren didn't even bother asking the students next to him to share their textbooks, he knew they wouldn't despite Kawakami asking them too. Thankfully, Takamaki was kind enough to lend her textbook to him, although when he gave it back to her, she rushed out of the classroom along with the others, not having any time to talk. Oh well, he could try another day, something about her says she's not like the others.

Ren exited the classroom, about to head back to Leblanc and explain himself to Sojiro. If the police informed the school about his tardiness, he just knew the school informed him as well, despite Ms. Kawakami and Ms. Chouno giving him and Kazuma a pass.

"ARG!" He clutched his head as the school began to change its scenery, flashes of the castle from earlier appearing in its place before changing back to normal.

Kawakami exited the classroom and saw that he was in pain.

"Hm? What's wrong?" He turned to the classroom door to see Kawakami standing there.

"Oh, nothing Ms. Just a minor Migraine." He smiled.

"I see." She replied. "If it gets worse, see the nurse before you leave." She explained before continuing. "Also, it seems like people are already talking about you. But, I'm not the one who told them."

"It's whatever." He shrugged it off, not really bothered. "People were bound to find out eventually."

Kawakami gave off a loud sigh, as if consumed by the stress she was feeling. "I can't even catch a break. Why do I have to deal with this?"

 _Once again, I'm standing right here_. Its one thing to be stressed out about a probationer in your class, but to express frustration right in front of them is downright rude. Then again, he believed that she was saying these things simply out of stress, even today she looked more stressed out than the other day. Could that have been caused by his tardiness? Who knows?

"Might I offer the same advice to you, Ms." He said, changing the subject.

"Huh?" She seemed surprised, wondering what he was referring to.

"Well, you kept clutching your head during class, Ms. You should take some medicine and rest. Sleep deprivation can affect one's physical and mental performance." He explained, greatly shocking her as she didn't know her apparent tiredness was that easy to figure out.

"How did you..." She stopped herself, she wasn't going to let him derail her like this. "Nevermind. Anyway, You should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Mr. Sakura sounded pretty angry."

 _No surprise there_. He thought to himself.

"Oh, and about Sakamoto-kun. Don't get involved..." As if on cue, the man in question entered the scene. Ryuji approached them, intruding in on their conversation. Kawakami turned to face him. "Speak of the devil. What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes today."

"Ugh... it was nothin'. This guy and his friend had to help me out, that's all." He replied, scoffing at her tone and looking away.

"And you haven't dyed your hair back to black either." She brought up, placing her hand on her hip.

"Sorry 'bout that'..." He gave a false apology, ignoring Kawakami's rambling and approached Ren, moving close so only he could hear. "I'll be waitin' on the rooftop. Your friend will be there too." He finished before taking his leave.

 _The rooftop, huh? And Kazuma's gonna be there too?_ He thought. _It must be about the castle._

"See? That's why I don't want you getting involved. Understood?" His Homeroom teacher continued to point out.

"Noted." He said, giving a bow to her. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Ms. Kawakami."

Even though that lecture, he still remained the polite boy she met the other day. It was strange how passive he was being with everyone talking about him. Was he really a problem student?

"You too, Amamiya-kun." She gave a simple nod and left. Once he was out of earshot, she thought as to how he understood how tired she was and how she was currently suffering from a severe headache. As if his polite behavior didn't make it any stranger.

He checked his phone to look at the time, he still had time to check in with Ryuji and make the next train back to Shibuya. But before he could take action, he spotted the devil himself, Mr. Kamoshida and Principal Kobayakawa walking up the stairs, barring his path. He was close so he could overhear what they were talking about but made sure he wasn't close so they could notice him.

"Why would you allow students like them to transfer here? They're already starting to associate with Sakamoto." Kamoshida complained, referring to Ren and Kazuma's presence at the school. "A student with a criminal record and a student with a nasty record of absences. At this rate, it'd be pointless how much I contribute to the school."

"Now, don't be like that. The school counts on you, Kamoshida-kun. You're are our star." The principal retorted. "Still, a steady build-up is necessary behind such brilliance as well."

 _Wow, the guy's got a man crush_. Ren chuckled at how much the Principal admired the P.E. teacher.

"Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Principal Kobayakawa?" Kamoshida questioned before giving a confident smile. "All right, I understand. I'll continue to do my best to answer your expectations of me."

"And I applaud you for your effort." The Principal said. "Besides, I wouldn't be too quick to judge Kazuma-san. His parents were some of Tokyo's most influential and widely acclaimed individuals, after all."

"That so?" He questioned, smiling as if an idea popped into his head.

"Anyway, have a good day, Kamoshida-kun." And with that, the Principal left. Kamoshida left too and the path to the roof was available.

Ren made his way to the rooftop, ignoring the looks many were giving him. So it's true, people really do know about his record. If that wasn't worse, people are also making false allegations about him, that he smokes and carries a knife being the most frequent. He had to admit, they were kind of amusing, listening to these tall tales.

 _High school students have wild imaginations_. He believed.

Once he made it to the rooftop door, he pushed those thoughts out of his head and focused on his meeting with Ryuji. He opened the door to find the blond leaning against a chair, waiting for him. However, it was only him, Kazuma wasn't here yet.

He looked past Sakamoto to find a small garden, probably from the school's gardening club, he deduced. At his old school, students weren't allowed on the rooftop but he often used it as a place to eat lunch in peace and to be alone. He believed that same rule also applied to Shujin but that never stopped him before.

"There you are." The spiky blonde greeted, breaking him from his thoughts. "Sorry for callin' you up here like this."

"It's no problem." He assured him. "Is Kazuma not coming?"

"He went to the bathroom, last I saw him. He'll be here." He told him. "So, I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like "don't get involved with that Sakamoto," huh?"

"Something along those lines, kind of a terrible thing for a teacher to say about a student though," Ren stated.

"Figured as much." He sighed annoyingly. "Then again, we're in the same boat."

"Oh?" He questioned.

"Yep, I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone's talkin' about it." He pointed out.

"So I've heard, although you can ignore the ones about me carrying cigarettes and a knife, I checked on my way up here and I can't find them anywhere." He made a joke about the situation which got a laugh out of Ryuji.

"Hahaha! Yeah, welcome to Shujin Academy, land of rumors and bullshit." He laughed at the joke. "I'm just sayin', it's no wonder you were so gutsy."

Just then, before they could continue the conversation, the door to the roof opened and in came their late arrival. Kazuma entered the picture, approaching the two with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, Kazuma." Ren greeted. "Was class okay for you?"

"Not important." Kazuma retorted. After everything that had happened, he wanted answers. "So, considering the fact that the three of us were nearly murdered, maybe one of you would like to explain what's going on. Because between being thrown in a prison cell, tortured by monsters, and seeing that asshat in a bathrobe, I would've been better off actually skipping today."

"Well, It wasn't a dream… right?" Ryuji questioned, looking at Ren for answers. "You remember it too, yeah?"

"I remember everything. Being imprisoned, fighting those weird monsters, saving Morgana, everything." He answered.

"Well, just 'cause we all remember it doesn't mean much though." The three didn't really have much to go on from that, after all, it sounds impossible for three individuals to share the exact same dream and share the exact same experience of said dream. Too many questions and no answers. "I mean, even if it was a dream, you saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah… Thanks, Ren."

"Anytime." He gave him thumbs up.

"Oh, and you." Ryuji turned toward his classmate. "You were badass, man. The way you killed all those floating pumpkins effin' rocked."

"Whatever." He turned away, crossing his arms, not really use to compliments nor desiring to be complimented.

"But man, that Kamoshida we saw there…" He brought up the person they met in the castle, the one that looked like the P.E. teacher that works here. "You guys prolly don't know about it, but there are some rumors about him."

 _Rumors, huh. I wonder if it has anything to do with Takamaki-san_. He thought as the gossip in class about the beautiful blonde seated in front of him still fresh on his mind.

"The King?" Kazuma questioned

"I think he means Mr. Pink Undies." Ren gave his nickname, not desiring to give that scumbag the honor of actually saying his name.

"Yeah. That asshole who was all full of himself at the castle." Ryuji hid his snicker at Ren's nickname before sitting up in his chair. "No one says anything against him 'cause he's some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals. The way Kamoshida was king of that castle felt crazy real 'cause of that."

"You did say he acted like he was 'the king of the castle' when we first met you." The probationer pointed out.

"...I wonder if we can go back to that castle again…" Sakamoto questioned the idea before standing up, pushing aside the idea as ridiculous. "Ugh, forget it. Must've been a dream! It has to be!"

"Well whatever it was, all that matters is that we're alive," Ren told him.

"Yeah, you're right." He rubbed the back of his head, agreeing with what he said. "Sorry for dragging you guys out here like this. That's all I had to say."

"Hey, it's no problem at all. I'm glad we had this chance to talk." He smiled, appreciating Ryuji's kindness.

"You know, we might be pretty similar." He smiled at the two. "I feel like the three of us are gonna get along just fine as 'troublemakers'."

"Yeah, lovely. I'm leaving." Kazuma said impatiently as he made his way to the door.

"Hey, hold on a sec." The spiky blonde called out. "Sorry dude, I completely fazed out during class, what was your name again?"

"There's no point in you knowing my name." He replied, even after Ren had introduced him, he forgot his name? Seriously?

"But we're classmates. And we sit next to each other, you know?" He argued.

"So what? Being classmates doesn't mean anything." He said as he made his way to the door.

When he opened the door, he glanced over his shoulder to see Ren looking at him. It appeared that he was still concerned about him, especially after hearing that those monsters tortured him. It annoyed him greatly, his concern, his friendliness, and his altruism.

He sighed irritatingly as he looked away, not wanting to look at him anymore.

"Kei Kazuma." He gave his name one final time before heading back downstairs. Once the door closed and he was out of earshot, the spiky blonde let out an annoyed groan.

"Okay seriously, what an asshole," Ryuji called out.

"He's unfriendly, yes, but I think that's a bit far-fetched." Ren believed. "You remember what he said, right? Back at the castle?"

"Y-Yeah, as if I could forget," Sakamoto said, the words his classmate said before awakening his Persona on his mind, his demand that the King and his guardsman turn their attention to him instead of the others. "Anyway, I'll come talk if I see you around. Don't ignore me, all right?"

"You got it." He nodded as the two parted ways and left the rooftop.

* * *

Ann and Shiho talked near the entrance as they killed time before the latter had to attend volleyball practice. It was the best way for the two to waste their after-school afternoons when the latter didn't have practice, otherwise, they would be hanging out at the Shibuya Underground Mall. Nothing exciting was really happening so they just talked about their days, rather, the new students that have entered their school lives.

"So, I heard you got the rumored transfer student in your class." Shiho brought up.

"Yeah, people are already spreading rumors about him," Ann informed, crossing her arms and frowning a little at the comments spread by her classmates. Her first opinion of Ren Amamiya is that he was polite and really nice. When they first met this morning, he greeted her with such kindness then he apologized to her in class when students started talking about them. He was so nice, not at all like how the rumors make him out to be.

"I hope he's okay." The volleyball team member expressed concern.

"Oh Shiho, that's so you. Always worrying about others." She giggled at her friend's selflessness. "What about you, I heard you have a transfer student in your class as well."

"Y-Yeah. I do." She said, remember just who it was that was the new transfer student in her class. It was clear that he recognized her but she didn't know if he wanted to talk to her. After all, he rushed out of class the moment it ended.

"So, what do you think about him?" The blonde wondered.

"Well, he's..."

"Yo, Takamaki-san!"

Just then the two friends were interrupted by a fellow student, Daisuke Takanashi, followed by three of his friends. He was an asshole in Ann's eyes, always trying to cause trouble with other students. Knowing him, she could tell this wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Daisuke-kun." She greeted simply, not really wanting to talk to the likes of him.

"So, what're you up to?" He asked.

"I'm about to go home. Alone." He lightly snapped, letting him know her intentions.

"Oh, really? Me and the guys were about to head out to Shinjuku for a little fun. We wanted to know if you wanted to come with. After all, you like to have 'fun' now and then don't ya?" He quipped as he and his friends laughed at his insinuation.

It was times like these that Shiho wished she could stand up to these assholes for treating Ann like this. The rumors about her greatly bothered her and it clearly bothered her friend as well. None of it was true, it was a slander and tall tales.

"So, what do you say, Takamaki-san? Wanna come have some-AGH!" He continued until someone bumped into him rather roughly, causing Daisuke to fall to the ground. His friends looked towards the perpetrator who was making his way toward the exit, not even noticing what he had done. "Hey! What the hell was that for?!" He called out but got no answer, probably unable to hear him as this mysterious student was listening to music, earphone in each ear.

"Hey, hold up asshole!"

His three friends ran around him to block his path, preventing him from leaving. Once they saw who it was, they gasped because the look he was giving them gave him a menacing appearance. They took a few steps back, not knowing what he was gonna do.

"Hey, you think you can just bump into me like that and get away with it?!" Daisuke questioned angrily as he grabbed onto the perpetrator's shoulder rather roughly. "You better give me an apology right now. On your knees punk!"

"D-Daisuke. Dude, I-I don't think we should mess with this guy."

"Huh?" He said wondering why his friend appeared frightened. The perpetrator removed one earphone from his ear and turned around to face him, gracing him with the same glare he was giving his friends a few seconds ago.

With his face now visible, Shiho could see who it was.

 _I-It's him_. She recognized the perp as Kei Kazuma, new transfer student, and her newest classmate. The look he was giving Daisuke was rather menacing, one full of annoyance, hate, and disgust combined into one glare.

"W-Whoa, man." Daisuke back away, holding his hand up in front of him. "L-Look, I'm sorry. I-I don't want any trouble, okay?"

The new transfer student kept glaring at him until backed off. To be fair, he did bump into him but he was in the way, students shouldn't be hanging near the front door after all. He looked over to see who these assholes were talking too. His glare faded and his eyes widened as soon as his eye's met Shiho's.

Shiho didn't know what to do at the moment, the way his menacing frown dropped the moment he looked at her did not go unnoticed by her. That was all the confirmation she needed to know that he remembered her from that day. But what should she say? Should she introduce herself? Say hi? She didn't know what to do. All she could do is stay silent as their eyes met continued to stare at one another.

"Hmph." He looked away from her before putting the hanging earphone back in his ear, turning around and walking away.

Once he was out of sight, Daisuke and his friends began talking about him.

"Who the hell was that?"

"Don't you know? That's one of the transfer students."

"Which class?"

"2-E."

"Oh. So he's not the one in the rumors?"

"Still, can you believe that guy?" Daisuke scoffed at him. "What a piece of shit."

"Heh, you talk big but you look like you're about to piss yourself, Daisuke."

"I do not!" He complained.

As they argued amongst themselves, Shiho and Ann moved away from them, as if to escape in the event they were to turn their attention back to them. While Ann was glad that everything ended without anyone throwing punches, she was still reeling from the information she had learned. The blonde had recognized that boy before as he was with Amamiya this morning but didn't know he was the transfer student in her friend's class.

"So, he's in your class, Shiho?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah. That was him." Shiho answered.

"Geez, he doesn't seem friendly to me. Even if Daisuke was an asshole." Ann continued.

Even so, Shiho couldn't help but feel thankful towards him for defusing the situation, even if it was inadvertently. This, and their initial encounter the other day at the train station, him giving her hopeful advice, made this Kei Kazuma more mysterious and more intriguing. But it's as Ann said, he doesn't seem like a friendly guy, it was apparent in the way he introduced himself in class.

 _His eyes looked so full of hate. It wasn't like yesterday_. She thought. _Maybe he just needs a friend_.

* * *

Having left the school, Kazuma waited for the train to arrive. While he wasn't as early as he wished since he met up with Ren and Ryuji earlier, it should be here any second.

His thoughts turned to that girl, that same girl that he met in this very station, is in his class. His belief that she would forget him turned out to be false. If anything the looks she gave him in class and when he just left a while ago say the exact opposite.

 _Who is she?_ He wondered.

"Kazuma!" He heard someone call out to him. He took out his earphones and turned to face the one calling his name.

"Amamiya." He said as it was his fellow transfer student that ran after him.

"Hey, glad I caught up with you." He smiled as he caught his breath. "We walked to school together, might as well walk back together, right?"

"Do what you want, I really don't care." He placed his earphones back into his ear, listening to his music.

They didn't talk on their way back to Shibuya, even though Ren wanted to use this chance to get to know him better. Once they took the train back to Yongen-Jaya, he didn't say goodbye, he just kept walking in the direction of his residence.

However, seeing as how they were alone, now might be a good time to ask.

"Hey, Kazuma." Ren stopped him before he could head back to the apartment building.

"What?" He stopped in his tracks and pulled out his earphones once again as his fellow transfer student called out to him.

"I was wondering." He pulled out his phone. "Do you want to exchange numbers and chat ID?"

"You already know I live around here. You don't need it." He said, trying to derail the conversation so he could leave and not exchange numbers.

"Yeah but, it'd be nice to keep in contact. We're both new and after what happened, we should stick together." He reasoned.

"Kazuma sighed, this guy was too stubborn and clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer. He would be lying if he said he didn't respect Ren. He did which was a first for him. Plus, considering that he has a criminal record, the only thing he can do is convince the rumored criminal that he's going down the wrong path. "Look, Amamiya. Don't misunderstand, I don't dislike you or anything and you seem like a decent guy so I'm gonna give you some advice and save you the trouble."

"O-Okay?" He nodded, wondering what Kazuma was going to say. It wasn't like him to be this straightforward.

"If you're trying to befriend me or anyone at that dump of a school, do yourself a favor and give it up cause you're just wasting your time." He said bluntly.

"What?" Ren was taken aback by what he had said but it didn't appear that he was trying to be rude.

"You've probably noticed it already, haven't you? The rumors, the gossip, it's already starting. Thanks to that criminal record of yours, people won't shut up about you." Kazuma explained.

"Yeah, I've noticed." He admitted. No one was supposed to know about it and Ms. Kawakami had already explained that she didn't tell anyone. "Rumors are already spreading about me like wildfire, most of it has nothing to do with my record."

"Unlucky you." He commented curtly before continuing. "Look, I don't know what you did or didn't do. I don't care and guess what, no one else is going to care either."

"What do you mean by that?" Ren asked. While he found it comforting that Kazuma didn't care about his record, he wondered what he meant by no one else would care. Although he had an inkling of what he meant.

"Whether you're innocent of whatever it is that you did, it doesn't matter. People won't care, they never do. They'll label you and spread rumors about you regardless of the truth, it's easier for them to live that way." He explained. Ren couldn't help but notice his frown grew as he talked which made him believe that Kazuma not only knew what he was talking about but meant every word of it. "Now, if you're smart, you'll keep your head down, shut your mouth, don't talk to anyone, and maybe, just maybe, if you're lucky, the rumors will die down and everyone will just simply ignore you. So you see, making friends at that school is pointless. After all, Friendships are like plates, one little misstep, and it'll shatter before your very eyes. In the end, everyone's only out for themselves."

"What about you?" He questioned.

"I'm someone you don't want to get to know, nor do I wish to get to know you." He told him up front. "I have no intention of befriending you or that Sakamoto guy. You both just need to back off and leave me alone."

"No intention huh?" Ren couldn't help but question just how true those words were. He believed that Kazuma wasn't being entirely honest, especially after what happened in that other world. "So, that whole 'If you wanna kill someone, kill me' was what? A spur of the moment proclamation?"

"That…" He crossed his arms and glared at his fellow transfer student as he chose his next words carefully. "…was nothing more than me dealing with a few annoyances."

"Really?" He scratched the back of his head, finding what he just said to be amusing. "Heh, I guess I never saw myself as an annoyance."

"Welcome to the real world, Amamiya." He finished.

"You know, you speak as if you know all this from experience." He pointed out.

"I wouldn't be wasting my time with you if I didn't know what I was talking about," Kazuma stated, trying his best not to recall his own experience in dealing with gossip hounds.

"Well, you make a good point, I can't argue that." He admitted bittersweetly but he wasn't done yet. "I'll take your advice to heart, Kazuma. But before I go, can I just ask you one last question?"

Even after all that, he still had more to say? He really is a stubborn fool, not one to give up easily. However, Ren's been respectful to him so far so the least he could do is indulge him one last time before they finally go their separate ways.

"Fine. What is it?" He asked.

And those words that he said next, destroyed his argument entirely.

"Are you happy?"

At that moment, Kazuma's eyes widened at the question. He tried to think of something to say, to counter the question or give him a yes or no answer. But the words got caught in his mouth and for some reason, he couldn't give him any kind of answer.

"W-What?"

"I said, are you happy? Are you perfectly happy not having any friends?" He elaborated but it only made the situation worse, for Kazuma anyways.

"I…" He looked away, not wanting Ren to see his conflicted expression. Was he happy? Tell the truth, it was an interesting question. Why? Because he never really thought about it, the happiness of it all. Until now that is. Ren had forced him to consider whether being a loner is what truly made him happy. If solitude is what he desired. Ulysses said his loner lifestyle was nothing more than pure deception, but as he along with Ren and Ryuji believed, it was a dream and Ulysses wasn't real.

"It… I..."

"The offer's still there." He held out his phone, reminding him of his previous offer to exchange numbers and chat ID.

He really should just walk away right now, just ignore the question, ignore Kurusu, and forget this conversation ever happened. But, whatever it was, his question had him completely at a loss for words. He only had two choices, just walk away or…

 _What is wrong with me?_

Knowing how stubborn Ren is, there's a high chance he wouldn't take his 'ignore him' request to heart so against his better judgment, he took his phone from him and put in both his number and chat ID. After putting in his information, he gave his phone back to the probationer who gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Kazuma." He said gratefully.

"Yeah, whatever." He looked away, not meeting his eyes.

Against his better judgment, he relented and exchanged contact info with his fellow transfer student.

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I...**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond.**_

...

 _ **From the self-suffused with divine love to the self-capable of demonic cruelty**_

 _ **A new self has been born.**_

...

 _ **Thou hast given birth to the Arcana of Fool that shall grant thee new power...**_

...

 _What the…_ Kazuma stood in silence as he heard those strange words. It appeared that only he could hear it as Ren seem as puzzled as he was.

"You okay?" He asked with concern, wondering why he was giving him strange looks.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." He said, shrugging off what he had heard. It had been a long day indeed and he just wanted to get some rest.

"I'll text you later. Enjoy the rest of your day." He said, giving the boy a polite bow as he left, making his way to Leblanc.

As Kazuma stood there, he couldn't believe how this talk turned out. He didn't expect to be struck silence by a simple question. But Ren did just that, even though he told him he had no intention of befriending him, he still continued to argue and wasn't at all fazed by his own words. However, despite their talk still gnawing at him, he remembered that he had to get back to Beauty Heights. Odds are the school called Tori about him being late and if he knows her like he thinks he does, she will not be her bubbly cheery self when he sees her. Accepting whatever fate he had in store for him, he began making his way to Beauty Heights with the question Ren asked still fresh on his mind.

 _Are you happy?_

"Who are you, Ren Amamiya?"

* * *

 **OMG! HE DID IT!**

 **So yeah, for those don't know, Kazuma has his own confidants! His confidants will comprise of the rest of his teammates, some characters that you've seen before in other confidants, a special character from a past Persona game, and OCs. Also, some of Ren's confidants will form a little earlier then when they're established in-game but that will be for some characters, not all.**

 **Til next time.**


	6. Trio of Troublemakers

**And here we are with another chapter.**

 **Just like last time, this chapter came out much longer than I wanted it to be. Sometimes, I just get into that moment where I'm writing and I can't stop.**

 **So, due to weather conditions, classes got cancelled today so I was able to earn an additional free day. Hip Hip Hooray!**

 **No shoutouts today.**

 **In other news, Akira/Ren finally has his own slot when using search filters. That's why I switched out "Protagonist" to the appropriate slot.**

 **Expect another chapter coming soon after this one.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 6th chapter.**

* * *

Ren stood at the door of Cafe Leblanc, knowing full well the moment he walks into the coffee shop, that Sojiro would scold him for apparently "cutting" class. He figured he could use the same story he told Ms. Kawakami and Ms. Chouno to get off the hook, that he and Kazuma helped came across a sick Ryuji Sakamoto and helped to the doctor, staying with him until he felt better. Then again, knowing Sakura-san he'll probably argue that he was getting involved in business that wasn't his.

 _Well, here goes nothing_. Ren thought to himself, seeing no way out of this. He opened the door to the cafe and entered.

Sojiro was fixated on whatever TV show he was watching before Ren walked through the door. But, now that he was here, the cafe owner gave him a very disappointed expression.

"Hey. I got an interesting call from your school today." He crossed his arms. "It's only your first day, and you're already showing up hours late?"

"Yeah, about that..." Ren scratched his head in nervousness, not wanting to imagine the expression that painted his guardian's face when he received that phone call. "It was my fault. I came across a fellow student who got sick so I helped him to a doctor."

"Yeah, Ms. Kawakami told me as much." He sighed a little, wanting to get to the point. "Look, just behave yourself. Your life's forfeit if anything happens. You understand the meaning of probation, right?"

"I'm aware, Sakura-san." He told him. "I promise, it won't happen again."

"OK, then." The cafe owner finished, ending the conversation as he believed he got his point across. Just then, his phone started ringing. He pulled it out and answered it. "Hey, what's up?" He asked, engaging in conversation with the caller. "Yeah, I just closed up shop. I'll be there in half an hour." Before he could continue, he realized his ward was still standing there. He put his hand on the phone before turning to him. "Hey, what're standing around for? Go hurry on up to bed."

 _Well, since you asked so nicely_. He quipped in his thoughts as he placed his hands in his pockets before walking over to the attic that was his living quarters.

"No, I just hired a part-timer." Sojiro continued the conversation before stopping Ren as he took the first step up the stairs. "Don't forget to lock the door and turn all the lights off, OK?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded as he made his way up the stairs. The first thing he did was write down his activities for the day in his journal, although he left his castle escape out of it, not wanting Sojiro to snoop through it and question him about such rubbish.

"Ugh, what a day." He dropped his bag on his desk and fell onto the bed, tired as hell. "I feel exhausted, maybe it's because of that place." He said, remembering his trip to the castle, fighting those monsters, and awakening to his power. "Per-sona, huh?" He muttered before sitting up a bit and grabbing his phone. He remembered telling Kazuma he was going to text him later and now was a good time.

 **Ren: Hey Kazuma?**

After sending that message, he didn't get a response. He wasn't ignoring him, was he? After all, he did put in his number and chat ID for him so that couldn't be the case.

 **Ren: Are you there?**

He sent another text, and yet, no reply. Was he doing something? It's possible that he was currently talking to whoever's taking care of him about him "cutting" class. Maybe that's why he was taking so long.

He figured one more text couldn't hurt. If he doesn't reply then, he'll just go to bed.

 **Ren: Is everything okay? You're not in trouble, are you?**

 **Kazuma: Will you cut it out with the constant messages, I'm fine.**

He let out a sigh of relief as his fellow transfer student sent him a text.

 **Ren: Oh, there you are. Glad you replied, I was beginning to feel ignored.**

 **Kazuma: I had to talk with my guardian.**

 _So that was the case?_ He thought as he read the text. So, Kazuma has a guardian of his own? That was interesting, wondering if he/she was anything like Sojiro. Although this confused him, he heard from the Principal that Kazuma's parents were "highly acclaimed individuals" so were they not taking care of him? And if not, who is?

 **Ren: I can't imagine that was pleasant.**

 **Kazuma: Don't remind me.**

* * *

 _ **Earlier.**_

Kazuma entered Beauty Heights, ready to face the music that is the wrath of his former nanny turned guardian, Tori Ichihara. She wasn't at the front desk, so odds are, she was either in his apartment or hers. He decided to take the former approach and made his way to his apartment. Using the key, he entered the apartment. Turns out he was right, as he entered the apartment, Tori was in the kitchen cooking up dinner for herself and for Kazuma. Seeing that he had arrived him, she turned to face him with a smile.

"Oh, Kazzy-kun! You're finally home." She greeted.

"Tori." He replied. He set his bag down as he closed the door, walking closer to her.

"You're a little late, aren't you?" She questioned.

"Yeah." He simply said.

"So, how was your first day? Did you have a blast?" She wondered.

"It was... something." He said, a little nervous as to why she was still being her usual self. Did the school not call her about his tardiness?

"That so?" Once she finished cooking, she placed both of their meals onto the dinner table before turning to face him fully. "What did you learn in class today? Maybe about how your pants are on fire, you LIAR!"

Scratch that, they definitely called her. Her usual smile had contorted in an angry frown in mere seconds.

"Um, no." Maybe he shouldn't have said that. It didn't help his case.

"I got a call from your school earlier today. They told me you were caught skipping." She crossed her arms. "You promised me you wouldn't get into any trouble. What's going on here, Kazzy-kun?"

"It's..." While trying to think of an excuse, he remembered the story Ren gave to the cops and to their homeroom teachers and believed that same story would work on his guardian. "I had to help out a student who got sick."

"Huh?" Her frown disappeared, now replaced with a confused and stunned expression.

"Yeah, I encountered a student on my way to school who was apparently sick so I helped him to a doctor. That's why I was late." He said, hoping that story would work on her.

"You were trying to help out a student?" She questioned. "Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He lied, but it was the best story he could come up.

She seemed to be in deep thought before her frown returned, only it was directed at him.

"So you were accused of skipping only because you were trying to help out one of your fellow students? That's... That's...!" She grew angrier by the second before letting it out. "THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS!"

 _Oh, dear lord_. He could feel himself hypothetically facepalming at Tori's antics once again. This wasn't true anger, this was just Tori being Tori.

"I have never, in the 30 years of my life, heard of something so audacious! You were helping out a student, they should be praising you, Kazzy-kun, not calling me to accuse you of skipping!" She argued.

"Tori, you're 26." He corrected.

"Huh?" She realized in the moment of her outrage, she embarrassingly for a moment, forgot her age. She laughed it off though. "Hehehe, silly me. Anyway, lets put this behind us, there's always tomorrow, right?"

"Sure." He sat down and ate his dinner with Tori. Once he was finished, Tori excused herself, wanting to get back to work, leaving him to his devices. He put all of his dishes in the sink and went to lay down on the bed.

 _What did I get myself into?_ He wondered, first walking to school with Amamiya, meeting that loudmouth Sakamoto, nearly being tortured to death by monsters, and then this strange power.

"Persona." He whispered before lifting up his shirt. Scars that would've permanently tainted his chest and stomach were not there, his awakening to his power must've healed him completely, wounds and the tears on his school uniform. "What is going on here?"

Deciding to push away the events of today and just forget it ever happened, he pulled out his phone to play some music and relax. After unlocking his phone, he noticed something on his phone that was awfully peculiar as it wasn't there before.

"What's this? An app?" He noticed a menacing looking app in the shape of an eye, installed onto his phone.

Before he could do anything, his phone vibrated and a message popped up.

 **Ren: Is everything okay? You're not in trouble, are you?**

He groaned a little, seeing that it was Amamiya. He looked to see two additional missed messages that came before it as he was unable to respond due to talking with Tori.

"This guy just doesn't give up, does he?" He sighed irritatingly before deciding the answer the messages.

* * *

 **Kazuma: What about you?**

 **Ren: He wasn't as mad as I thought he was gonna be, just a small lecture and I was in the clear.**

 **Kazuma: Lucky you.**

 **Ren: Anyway, I wanted to ask you something. What are your thoughts on Mr. Kamoshida?**

Ren wanted to know his fellow transfer's opinions of the man, both having confronted him at the school gates and how he sarcastically wished them luck in their new student lives. That, coupled together with his disapproval of Ren and Kazuma being at the school along with Ryuji's comments about there being nasty rumors about him and what he heard in class about him and Ann Takamaki, he had his suspicions about this Olympic medalist.

 **Kazuma: Why are you asking? Is this because of what Sakamoto said?**

 **Ren: Yeah, so what do you think?**

 **Kazuma: I don't like him, or trust him. And no, it has nothing to do with that lookalike we saw in the castle. Something about him really rubs me the wrong way.**

 **Ren: I feel the same. You saw how sarcastic he was when he wished us luck on our "new student lives". If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't be surprised if it was he who leaked my record to the school.**

 **Kazuma: It's clear Sakamoto hates his guts. The guy clearly has a grudge, couldn't even look at him or say his name without getting pissed off.**

 **Ren: Yeah, I noticed.**

Ren then thought of why Ryuji hated Kamoshida so much, maybe it was the rumors? No, it couldn't be. The venomous hatred spilling from his mouth had to be something of a personal nature. As he thought about it some more, he did notice something about Ryuji that was rather odd. He wondered if Kazuma picked up on it.

 **Ren: You think it has anything to do with the way he walks?**

 **Kazuma: Huh?**

 **Ren: You haven't noticed? There's something off about his leg, and the way he stands looks almost like he's squatting. It's barely noticeable if you're not looking hard enough.**

 **Kazuma: I don't see how his leg problems have anything to do with him hating Kamoshida.**

 **Ren: Yeah, maybe I'm just overthinking it. We should probably get some sleep so I'm gonna let you go.**

 **Kazuma: Yeah, whatever.**

 **Ren: Have a good night, Kazuma.**

He didn't get a reply, likely already asleep. He made sure to turn out the lights and lock the door before heading off to sleep. He turned on the alarm on his phone, placing it into his pocket before falling asleep.

 _Kamoshida_. The man in question still haunting his thoughts. _What's his connection to Ryuji? And to Ann Takamaki?_

He got no answers, just darkness as sleep overcame him.

* * *

The soft sounds of a piano slowly woke him from slumber. As he opened his eyes, he saw that he was once again changed and donned an inmate's attire. Ren realized that he was once again back in that "Velvet Room"

He got out of his bed and rubbed his eyes, he looked over to see Caroline and Justine standing on either side with the long-nosed man known as Igor sitting comfortably in his chair.

"About time you've come to." She blurted out as she hit the cell with her baton to get his attention. "On your feet, Inmate!"

Not wanting to further irritate her, he got up from the bed and walked over to the cell, gripping the bars.

"Our master wishes to speak with. It's for your own sake that you take his words to heart." Justine spoke quietly.

"Right." He nodded, looking over at the long-nosed man

"First off, let us celebrate our reunion." He spoke before realizing something. "Oh…? You've awakened to your powers. And special ones at that."

 _Special?_

"Your rehabilitation can finally begin."

"My powers," Ren said before bringing up a question. "What is it exactly? There are so many things I don't understand."

"There is no need to understand it all at the moment." He explained. "You will be training in that power of Persona, which you have awakened to.

"But what is a Persona?" Ren asked once more.

"Personas are, in other words, a "mask". An armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters." He said

"So in other words, it's strength of my heart." The inmate wondered wondered

"Precisely." He nodded, glad that his guest was able to understand. "I have high expectations for you."

"Master." Justine interrupted. "Forgive my interruption but, I believe there is another matter we must address."

"Huh?" Caroline questioned. "Wait, you mean... the other one?"

"Ah, yes." Igor chuckled lightly which confused not only Ren but the twin wardens as well as to how he was taking the new topic so lightly. "It appears an anomaly has entered the playing field. An outsider, of sorts."

"An outsider?" Ren questioned. What outsider could he possibly be talking about? Ryuji? No, he doesn't have a Persona. Morgana? It's possible. Who else could it... As he continued to think, he had an assumption of who he was referring to. "Are you talking about Kazuma?"

"Yes, him." He nodded. "Whether he is ally or enemy, finding out will play a part in furthering your rehabilitation. So be wary."

Kazuma? An enemy? What was that supposed to mean?

"By the by." Igor changed the subject. "Have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator?"

"Metaverse Navigator?" Ren questioned.

"Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces." He continued to explain.

 _Palaces? Does he mean that weird castle? And this "Metaverse Navigator? What is..._ He thought before coming to a conclusion. _He must mean that eye-shaped app._

"I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief." He said.

"I see." So, he gave him the app. No wonder it wouldn't be permanently deleted. He must've kept installing it on his phone every time he tried. That must've been a pain.

"The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better take care in using it, Inmate!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Devote yourself to your training so that you may become a fine thief," Justine remarked.

He nodded, somewhat understanding them.

"It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well, just as I have granted it to the Outsider." He explained. "This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief…"

 _Wait, Kazuma has the app?!_ His eyes widened.

Before he could ask, he heard an alarm go off, signaling the end of his visit to the Velvet Room.

"Hmph, it's time. Go back and enjoy whatever rest you might have." Caroline ordered.

Once again, he had questions but got no answers as his vision went black and only darkness remained.

* * *

 **4/12 - Tuesday**

After a night of sleep, Kazuma was able to put the other day's events behind him and focus on the now. He got up, ate breakfast and left and Tori wished him another good day of school as if time at that school could be considered "good".

He wasn't visited by that strange masked man again, although Kazuma chalked it off to just a strange dream. As he left Beauty Heights, he thought of the mysterious app he received the other day but more importantly, his text conversation with Amamiya. Granted, he brushed it off, but there was definitely something up with Sakamoto's leg, the way he walked was a bit odd.

Why does he despise Kamoshida so much? You don't hold that much venom in your words unless someone negatively affected you in a personal way. He of all people knew that only his venom was shown more through his actions, not words. His disgust for rumormongers and idiots, which happens to be the entire student body of almost every school.

As he walked towards the train station, he once again crossed paths with someone he knew would be inevitable to avoid from now on.

"Kazuma." Ren greeted. "Good morning."

"Amamiya." He said but not saying anymore as he walked towards the train station with his fellow transfer student following after him.

"Hey, Kazuma. I wanted to ask you something." He stopped him for a moment.

"Now what?" He questioned.

"Do you happen to have a weird, eye-shaped app installed on your phone?" He asked which got Kazuma's attention.

"You mean this?" He pulled out his phone and showed him the app in question.

"That's it." Ren pulled out his phone and showed him the same app. "I don't know how, but listen. I think this app is connected to that castle."

"Then why do we have it?" He wondered.

"I don't know, it just appeared on my phone when I first transferred here. As for you, maybe the reason you have it is because you awakened to that strange power in the castle." Ren theorized.

"Well, short of going back there again, which is not happening, I don't care." Kazuma placed the app in his trash bin, deleting the app. "Now, if you're done wasting time, I'd rather not be late again." He turned around and walked away, heading towards the train station.

 _Should I tell him the app will just be reinstalled?_ Ren chuckled as he tries to imagine Kazuma's reaction, running after him. _Nah, I think he'll figure it out soon._

The two transfer students then made their way to Shujin Academy, both thinking over the information they had learned.

* * *

Ren and Kazuma made it school safely, not having to go through another trip to the mysterious castle. The train ride wasn't so bad, although many were talking about the recent train accident. Ren couldn't help but notice how Kazuma grew more irritated than usual whenever someone brought it up. It happened yesterday as well. Whatever it was, he didn't like people freely discussing it.

Once they arrived at school, they went their separate ways and head to their respective classrooms. Just like yesterday, people were whispering about Ren, coming up with all sorts of false rumors. The one that really cracked him up was that he would tattoo names of the people he's killed on his chest.

He checked just to make sure, once again, rumor proved false.

As for Kazuma, he kept up his annoyed frown on his face which made people steer clear of him and move out of his way. Although Ren had no idea if that was a frown or just his regular expression.

He sat in class, his head in the palm of his hand as he starred off into space, looking at the window as class began.

"I'm the social studies teacher, Mr. Ushimaru. I'll be teaching you the rules of society this year." He introduced himself before giving the class a disapproving expression. "Hmph. You all look like you've been spoiled growing up."

 _Assumption is the mother of all failures, you know?_ Ren thought.

"Before we learn society's rules, maybe I should start with the rules of being a decent human being." He looked over to a particular student, one who didn't appear to be paying attention. Ushimaru's frown grew and irritation rose. "Hey, new kid!" Before he could react the teacher threw his chalk in the direction of the Ren, hitting him on the side of the head.

"Oof!" He clutched the side of his head in minor pain.

"Are you even paying attention?!" He exclaimed.

With an attitude like that, this definitely called for a witty remark of the great Ren Amamiya. He adjusted his glasses, hiding his award-winning smirk from his teacher and classmates.

"In my own way." He said.

Many of his classmates chuckled to themselves at his witty remark. What was more noticeable was when he looked forward to the blonde sitting in front of him, Ann Takamaki, trying her best to hide her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.

"All right then, smart-aleck. Answer this." The social studies teacher got back on track. "The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts. A soul is comprised of appetite, spirit, and..."

"Logic." He interrupted answering the question.

"What?" He was surprised by the sudden interruption.

"Plato's tripartite theory of the human soul, written around 380 BCE, describes the human soul to be comprised of appetite, spirit, and logic." He explained, once again hiding his expressing by adjusting his glasses. "Correct?"

As he finished, he heard many students talking about him.

"Wow, he got it right. Is he really a delinquent?"

"He seems like a punk, but maybe he's actually serious about studying?"

They continued to gossip before Ushimaru clapped his hands to quiet everyone down.

"So you knew that, huh." He grumbled before continuing the lecture. "Plato's teacher, Socrates, said that evil is born from ignorance. People who've been babied, taught that evil is due to individuality, can only become society's scum. Bizarre incidents have been occurring frequently. Those are but the actions of such scum. We don't need crude people like that in this school. Understand?"

Somehow, Ren felt as if he was referring to himself, but brushed it off, people were entitled to believe what they want. He didn't care then, doesn't care now.

* * *

The rest of the classes passed by smoothly. Ren got his things and head for the door. As he left the classroom, he caught notice of Takamaki heading for the stairs before the real-world version of Mr. Pink Undies approached her.

"Hey, Takamaki." Kamoshida went up to her. Just the mere sight of him caused her to be on edge. "You looking for a ride home? Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents."

 _Don't do it_. Ren thought as he awaited the girl's response.

"Sorry, I have a photoshoot today, it's for the special summer issue, so I can't afford to me it." She said, not looking him in the eyes.

 _She's a model?_ Ren questioned.

Kamoshida, on the other hand, didn't like the excuse she gave. His smile dropped and he placed his hands on his hips.

"Hey, now. Being a model's all fine and dandy, but don't work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned you weren't feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?" He questioned.

 _Appendicitis? Cmon, Takamaki, you can do better than that_. Ren thought. The situation seemed bad. Should he step in?

"Y-Yes, I've been planning to go the hospital but I've been too busy." She continued with the excuses. "Sorry to worry you."

"You must feel lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often. That's why I asked you out in the first place. " He said before changing the subject. "Oh, and be careful around those transfer students. The one in your class has a criminal record after all and that other one is in Suzui-san's class. Best to stay away from them, for your own safety."

"Thank you." She simply said as she took her leave. "Please excuse me."

Once she was gone, Ren saw that Kamoshida's demeanor had changed, one with annoyance and anger. He clicked his tongue as the blonde left the scene before he left too.

 _Nice one, Takamaki._ He chuckled lightly as he made his way out of the building. No one was leaving the 2-E classroom so Ryuji and Kazuma probably left. As he left the school, he walked past the school gates only to have his path barred by his former blonde companion.

"Yo." He greeted.

"Oh, hey Ryuji." He returned the greeting before noticing that Kazuma was behind the spiky blonde, arms crossed, clearly irritated. "Hey, Kazuma."

"Amamiya." He looked away, still in a foul mood.

"What's going on?" Ren asked.

"You tell me. This jackhole won't let me leave." He brought up, remembering how Ryuji had dragged him from the classroom and refused to let him head home until Ren showed up. He still needed to switch out his school shoes.

"Cause this involves the three of us, dude," Ryuji argued. "Look, I want to talk about that castle from yesterday. I tried telling myself it was just a dream, but I couldn't do it."

"Well, it doesn't seem right for three guys like us to share the exact same dream," Ren said.

"Yeah, and I can't act like nothing happened." He stated. "It's all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all."

"What are you suggesting?" Kazuma asked, a bit curious as to what he was thinking.

"I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what." He explained. "And, y'know, you two are the only people I can rely on. So, you guys in?"

Ren thought about it. What Ryuji was suggesting, it would mean returning to that castle, the same one that nearly got them killed, the same one where he and his fellow transfer student awakened to their powers. If this castle was at all related to the real Kamoshida, it might give him some answers to questions. Why did Ryuji hate him so much? Why are people saying nasty rumors about him and Takamaki being together?

This was the chance.

"I'm in." He said. "So, what's next?"

"Ooooh." Ryuji smiled at his answer. "Looks like I managed to talk some sense into you." He said before turning to his classmate. "What about you, Kaz..."

He turned to see that his classmate was not leaning against the wall anymore but was leaving the scene.

"Hey! What the hell man?!" Ryuji rushed after him, getting in his way.

"Get out of my way." He warned.

"Cmon man, I need your help." He pleaded but it wasn't working.

"You have Amamiya, you don't need me." He argued. "Now move."

"Dude, what is your problem?" He questioned, growing a little more annoyed by Kazuma's attitude.

"If you want to get yourself killed then go ahead. I, on the other hand, don't have a death wish. Now leave me alone." He said, moving past the annoying blonde.

"Hey! I'm not done...!"

"Kazuma, wait," Ren interjected, knowing that Sakamoto's persistence would do anything to sway Kazuma into joining them. So he decided a better approach which seemed to have worked as the boy in question halted his movements. "You've heard it, haven't you? You must have. I've only been here a day and I've heard all I need to know."

"What are you talking about?" He turned around, looking at his fellow transfer student.

"The rumors. That Kamoshida is... involved with a particular student." He explained, leaving Takamaki's name out of the record. "You know it, don't you?"

He wouldn't deny the truthiness of his words, after all, he witnessed it first hand when he bumped into that douchebag the other day. He was talking about that blonde, Ann Takamaki, he believed her name to be. He heard the whispers, the gossip among the student body, most of it was about Amamiya but somehow she ends up being a topic of discussion. Plus, the insinuations that Daisuke was making when he was bothering Takamaki and her friend, proved that the student body believed it, that she was easy, a total slut, and that she was sleeping with Kamoshida.

As he thought of the rumors circulating her, his thoughts turned to that friend of hers, the one with the black ponytail that was in his class. While those idiots were more focused on Takamaki rather than her, she was still caught in the crossfire.

"If there's even a small chance of proving those rumors false, we have to take it." Ren believed as he approached him. "Also, if Kamoshida really is as bad as the rumors say, if he is anything like his counterpart in that castle, could you go on living your school life with someone like him walking around this school doing whatever he wants?"

That was a good question? Could he continue his education, knowing that someone like that roams through the school?

His father once told him, in situations like these, you have a choice, either do nothing or do something. And with Amamiya bringing up such a good argument, he knew he couldn't just do nothing.

At the end of the day, he is a Kazuma, through and through, the son of the Best Detectives in Tokyo, the Last Resorts, so he had to do something.

"Fine." He turned around. "I'll do it."

"Phew, thanks, man. It means a lot to me." Ryuji thanked him, glad that Ren was able to talk some sense into him. He and Kazuma walked back over to Ren to come up with a plan. "Alright, guys here's the plan. I think we should retrace our steps from yesterday."

"Good plan." Ren agreed. "It all started when we took that shortcut through the alleyway."

"But the starting point itself was that clothing store, Jeunesse et Beaute," Kazuma added.

"All right, let's start from there." Ryuji clapped his hands together and smiled as the three of them formed their plan together. "In the meantime, you guys were walkin' to the station, right? Let's go together."

The two nodded and followed the spiky blonde. Ren wasn't worried, he had complete faith in Ryuji's plan and if he was right about this "Metaverse Navigator" app on his phone, the castle should show up if they just go through the alleyway again. Kazuma, for the most part, wanted to find this place, get in, get answers, and go home. Maybe give the King some payback if he still had his power from last time.

Once the three made it to the clothing store in question, Ryuji turned to face his companions.

"All right guys, we're here." He stated. "Now, if a huge castle like that really exists, I'm sure we'll find it in no time. When they'd build something like that though?"

"And why does it replace the school?" Amamiya questioned.

"You guys are asking pointless questions, it doesn't matter how it came about, all that matters is how to get there," Kazuma interjected, a little annoyed at them for getting off topic. "Let's try the shortcut again and see if it works."

"Sounds good. But stick together you two. I'd rather not drag an innocent bystander into this." The probationer said.

"All right, this way." Ryuji took the lead. "Lemme know if you notice something."

The three used the alleyway to see if it would take them back to the castle. When they came to, they weren't met with the mysterious castle, but Shujin Academy.

"Huh?" The spiky blonde appeared dumbfounded as it didn't work the way they wanted it too. "We're at school." He turned to the others. "There wasn't anything out of place along the way, right?"

"I didn't see anything." Ren thought.

"Same," Kazuma spoke.

"Damn it, we must've made a wrong turn somewhere. Let's try again." Sakamoto suggested. The three went back to the clothing shop and entered the alleyway once more. When they came too, it was the same result. No castle, just Shujin Academy. "For real?"

Why is the app not working? Ren thought, wondering why it wasn't sending them back to the castle.

"Is it smaller than we think it is?" Ryuji questioned as he leaned back against the nearby wall. "What do you guys think?"

"I might have an idea." The probationer thought. "You guys remember how after we escaped the castle, we heard my phone say "you have returned to the real world"?"

"You're talking about that app, aren't you?" Kazuma asked, referring the app he showed him this morning.

"App?" The spiky blonde wondered, completely in the dark about what they were talking about before his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Oh! You mean that navigation thingy."

"That's right. And I learned this morning that Kazuma has it too." He informed him.

"You too?" Ryuji turned to his classmate.

"Yeah, but I..." He checked his phone and saw that the app was back on his phone as if he hadn't deleted it in the first place. "Wait, what?"

 _Join the club_. Ren thought, remembering how many times he's deleted this app only for it to reappear again.

"But I deleted it this morning." He stated.

"Seriously? Can I see?" Ryuji asked. Seeing as how it was Ren's phone that sent them to the castle the first time, they might have a better chance if they use his phone first. He handed the blonde his cell phone and checked it out. "What a creepy design." He thought as he saw the weird eyeball-looking app. "I knew it! It is a navigation app!" He showed it to the two. "There's even your search history! Oh man, I'm such a genius!"

"Good job, Ryuji." Ren smiled, glad they were able to make progress.

"If you two are done, can we get on with it?" Kazuma crossed his arms.

"Alright, let's try usin' it," Sakamoto suggested before already making the decision, pushing onto the app as the eyeball surrounded the screen.

 **Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle...**

The app spoke, catching the three off guard.

"What the..." Kazuma said.

 _So the app responds to certain keywords. Interesting_. Ren thought.

"There we go!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Then, we went in a certain direction, and-" Before he could finish, the two transfer students noticed that scenery around them was becoming distorted. The blonde looked up at them, confused by their expressions. "Hey, what're you... Huh?!" It was then that he started to notice too. "What the hell?!"

Soon enough, the people around them started to vanish into thin air, the school itself was starting to change. As waves of distortions began to change the scenery around them, Ren and Kazuma noticed their attires beginning to change.

Soon enough, they had accomplished the first part of their mission.

They had returned to the castle.

"Look, it's the castle from yesterday!" Ryuji said, realizing that the events of yesterday were not fiction, but reality. He charged through with the other two following him, across the drawbridge, they found that the door to the entrance hall was closed. "We made it back… That means what happened yesterday was for real too." He said before noticing something about his companions. "T-Those clothes!"

The two transfer students looked at each other, both back into their strange costumes from they acquired from their last trip to the palace, Ren in his trenchcoat with red gloves, and Kazuma in his dark green sleeveless suit with a hood and dark green compression armbands. Both checked to see if they still had their weapons, Ren his dagger, Kazuma his dual blades.

And just like last time, the two still retained their masks.

"That happened last time too, huh?!" Sakamoto exclaimed. "Whats with those outfits?!"

"I really don't know," Ren said. It's possible these clothes were a side effect of awakening to their powers but that was just a guess. "Why, you jelly?" He could help but joke at his companion's flabbergasted expression.

"I-I ain't jealous! And that's not important right now!" He exclaimed. "What's goin' on here?! This makes no effin' sense at all!"

"Hey."

Kazuma immediately pulled out his sword and pointed it in the direction of the voice that interrupted Sakamoto's ranting. The other two looked over and saw that same cat creature that assisted in their escape the last time they were here.

"Morgana?" Ren called out.

"This thing again?" Kazuma sheathed his blade as the cat walked up to them with an annoyed expression.

"Stop making a commotion." He warned them.

"Ah... You!?" Ryuji exclaimed, remembering the creature.

"The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be." He crossed his arms, clearly disappointed. "To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape last time."

"What is this place? Is it the school?" Ryuji asked.

"That's right." Morgana nodded.

"But it's a castle!" He fired back, not believing him in the slightest.

"This castle IS the school. But only to this castle's ruler." The cat continued.

"The castle's ruler?" The blonde rubbed the back of his head, still confused.

"I think you called him... Kamoshida?" He brought up. "It's how his distorted heart views the school."

"Kamoshida... Distorted...?" He didn't understand what the cat was saying. "Explain in a way that makes sense!"

"I shouldn't have expected a moron like you to get it." Morgana rolled his eyes, annoyed by this boy's inability to understand the situation.

"What'd you say!?" He growled at his insult before Ren decided to step in and clarify the situation.

"In other words, this castle is a manifestation of the real world Kamoshida's perception of Shujin Academy," Amamiya stated.

"He sees the school as his castle, so in this world, that belief becomes reality." Kazuma believed.

"Exactly! At least you two get it." Morgana smiled, at least blonde's companions have brains on them.

Suddenly, a scream broke them from their talk, putting all of them on edge.

"What was that!?" Ryuji yelled out, a little scared.

"It must be the slaves captive here," Morgana believed.

"For real?" He asked and more screaming answered his question.

"Jesus Christ." Kazuma cringed, knowing that he was in a similar position the other day.

"Oh, shit, It's for real!" The spiky blonde exclaimed. "We saw other guys held captive here yesterday. I'm pretty sure they're from our school."

"Most likely on Kamoshida's orders. It's nothing out of the ordinary; it's like that every day here." The cat explained. "What's more, you three escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit."

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji blurted out angrily.

"Ryuji?" Morgana questioned, wondering why the boy got so angry so fast.

"This is bullshit!" He sprinted towards the huge doors and slammed himself into them in an attempt to open them. "You hear me, Kamoshida!?"

"Ryuji stop!" Ren stopped him, pulling him back from the doors "He's probably got some more of those guards with him, calm down a bit."

"It seems he's got a grudge." The cat whispered to his former cellmate.

"And I think I know why." Kazuma thought as he remembered his text conversation with Amamiya the other day.

Once Ryuji had calmed down a bit, he and Ren walked back over to the two.

"Hey, Monamona!" Sakamoto called out, getting his name wrong.

"It's Morgana!" The cat exclaimed.

"Do you know where those voices are comin' from?" He asked.

"You want me to take you to them?" He questioned. "Well, I guess I could guide you there. But only if they come with us." He gestured over to the two transfer students.

"I'm in," Ren stated.

"Yeah, whatever," Kazuma said, basically meaning the same thing as Amamiya.

"It's settled then!" Morgana jumped excitedly.

"Thanks, guys." Ryuji gave his gratitude to the two.

"All right, let's do this. Follow me!"

Morgana led the three back to the ventilation shaft they used to make their escape the last time they were here.

"This is our infiltration point."

"Ain't this the place we escaped outta last time?" Ryuji asked.

"That's right. Not barging in through the entrance is one of the basics of phantom thievery."

"How're we supposed to know about this stuff?" The blonde asked again.

"I'll make sure to teach you as we go." He said as he hopped into the ventilation shaft. "Come on, follow me!" He didn't even wait as he went further in.

Before they could continue on, Ryuji stopped the two as he had something he wanted to say to them.

"Hey uh… sorry about draggin' you two into all of this. But I just can't forgive that bastard Kamoshida doin' whatever the hell he wants!" Ryuji exclaimed, still angry at this situation.

"It's fine, Ryuji. I share your sentiments as well. If he's really as bad as you say he is, we'll find proof." Ren said before turning to his fellow transfer student. "Right, Kazuma?"

"Sure, whatever." He crossed his arms, looking away.

"Really though, thanks for comin' along. I owe you guys big time." The spiky blonde gave his gratitude one last time.

"If we're are done here, let's not keep the cat waiting." Kazuma interrupted, ready to get the show on the road. "You take the lead, Amamiya. I don't know this place very well."

"Got it." He said, flapping his coat as he approached the ventilation shaft.

"All right guys, it's showtime!"

* * *

 **Simple chapter of them going back to the palace, not very exciting but hey, just one of those chapters. But, on the bright side, we have Igor and the twins acknowledging my OC's existence. Although** **referring to him as an Outsider is really hurting my feelings, I put all my love and joy into creating him :( :(**

 **Anyway, just like last time, this chapter came out too long so there will be an additional part coming soon. Although I warn you, the next one will be a bit darker because of what happens in it.**

 **Til next time.**


	7. A Pirate's Life For Me

I **just want to give a warning before you continue that this chapter is a bit darker than the previous ones, so if you can't stomach it, I will not blame you for choosing to turn back. Just wanted to give a warning.**

 **So this chapter was originally split from the last chapter because it was too long, but it turned out to be longer then I anticipated. But, I wanted to get everything that happened in the castle done in this chapter so I hope you guys done mind it being so long.**

 **Only one shoutout for today. this one goes to AristoMercu for their fic, _The World Is Ours_. Like mine, it features an OC protagonist that acts alongside Ren/Akira so go check it out if you're interested.**

 **I'm glad that people are following and favoriting the fic, it makes me want to keep writing more. Remember that reviews and criticism are always welcome.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 7th chapter.**

* * *

Three climbed through the ventilation shaft and found themselves in the room they used to escape from last time. Once they each made it into the room, they found Morgana checking the corridor for any enemy sightings. Once he was done, he walked back over to the three to begin their mission.

"Man, this place is as creepy as always," Ryuji stated as he looked around.

"Now, make sure you guys do exactly as I say, all right? I'd rather not get thrown into a dungeon again." Morgana said as he left the room, gesturing the others to follow. "Follow me."

"We're right behind you, Morgana," Ren assured as the three followed after the cat.

He led the three into the central hall, where Kazuma had awakened to his power. Immediately, the three started to get the chills, each being reminded of what had transpired here. Before it was the place where Kazuma had received his power, it's also where they first came in when they came upon this castle for the first time. Encountering those knight cosplaying monsters, being thrown into a dungeon, and then coming across King Kamoshida trying to use Kazuma as leverage, a lot happened in this very room.

"Hey... We went by here when we came in the front, didn't we?" Ryuji pointed out. "And it's where you went to town on those floating pumpkins, dude." He said to his classmate.

"Hmph." He huffed, not really wanting to remember that day.

Just then, before they could do anything else. the scenery became distorted, and in a split second, the central hall changed into that of the school.

"Woah!" Ryuji said in shock. "I was seein' double or something just now! Was that Shujin?"

"I've told you before. This place is your school." Morgana reminded the blonde.

"It looked as if we were in the first-floor hallway," Ren stated as the change of scenery did not go unnoticed by him.

"Regardless, we don't have the time to stand around. Who knows when a shadow might show up." The cat warned.

"What are we waiting for then," Kazuma added, wanting to move on.

"Come on, this way!" He beckoned the others to follow him. Not wanting to stick around for guards to show up, they did as instructed and followed after the cat, leaving the central hall behind.

They found themselves back in the underground prison. As they went down the stairs, they found a guard on patrol near a closed drawbridge that they needed to cross to continue their mission. They hid behind the cell door that would lead them to the guard as thought out their strategy.

"Darn, I had a feeling there would be guards here." Morgana groaned at the situation.

"Pink Undies must've stationed more guards here after our escape. We'll probably face more opposition from now on." Ren deduced.

"F-For real?" Ryuji stuttered, not liking the idea of having to fight those things, especially since he can't fight.

"So what? It's just one guard, let's kill it and be on our way." Kazuma said impatiently. "Look, it doesn't even know we're here. Let's ambush it."

"I like the way you think, Brown Hair." Morgana complimented. "If you want to break the control the palace ruler has over them, you'll need to rip off their masks. It'll weaken them in the process."

"Alright. Let's go with Kazuma's plan and use this element of surprise to our advantage." Ren said.

"Sounds good to me." The cat said before turning to Ryuji. "You may want to stay back, after all, you don't have a Persona."

"R-Right." He rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit down at his inability to help.

"You take point, Frizzy Hair," Morgana commanded.

"Got it." Ren nodded as he left his hiding spot and moved closer to the guard.

The shadow still had it's back turned to the group, giving Amamiya the opportunity to get in close and take it by surprise. He hopped onto the guard, grabbing at its mask.

" **What the...!** " The guard exclaimed.

"Your mine!" The probationer mocked. "Now, show me your true form!"

With that, he used all of his strength to rip off the mask before backing away to gain some distance. The guard shook uncontrollably from his mask being ripped off and transfigured into a familiar floating pumpkin. A Jack O' Lantern to be exact.

"Ah, this should be a cakewalk." Ren believed, looking over to Kazuma. "You ready?"

"Hmph. Just say when." He glared at the pumpkin, ready to end its life.

"Here I go." Amamiya started as he brought his left-hand closer to his mask. "Persona!" He touched his mask as it broke away and summoned forth his Persona, Arsene. From the look of him, he was just as excited to get the party started.

"Come." Now, it was Kazuma's turn. "Persona!" Using his right hand, he ripped off his mask, summoning forth his own Persona, Ulysses, who flew in the air in his arms-crossed posture, ready to unleash hell on his master's enemies.

"Go Arsene! Ravage him!" Ren commanded. Arsene flew forward, charging at the shadow, ready to cleave it with his claws. Unfortunately, this Jack O' Lantern wasn't like the rest. It managed to dodge his attack before ramming it's lantern into the Persona, causing it some damage.

"Rip it apart, Ulysses." Kazuma thrust his hand forward, causing his Person to unsheathe its blades and charge over to the pumpkin, slicing and slashing at it, to no avail. "It's fast."

"Looks like they've upgraded since our last visit." Ren believed. "Then we'll just have to step up our game. Morgana, if you would do the honors?"

"Hmph. I'll show you amateurs how it's done." The cat said before clenching its fists. "Zorro! Show your might!" He summoned forth his Persona, using its blade to entrap the pumpkin in wind magic. Luckily, it's speed couldn't save it as the power of Garu easily surrounded it, causing it numerous damage to the point it could barely move. "Now, go you two!"

"Arsene!" Ren commanded.

"Ulysses!" Kazuma did the same.

At their commands, the Personas charged in opposite directions, cutting through the shadow and destroying it completely. As it fell to the ground, dissolving into nothing, it left behind something in the remains.

"Looks like you've both mastered your Personas rather easily. Nice work you two." The cat complimented.

"That's the power of teamwork, for you," Amamiya claimed before turning to his partner. "Good job, Kazuma."

"Yeah, whatever." He looked away, crossing his arms. "You did alright, I guess."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He chuckled before walking over to where the shadow had died and picked up what remained. "Hey guys, this guy had ¥149 on him."

"So these things crap out money?" Ryuji questioned. "Man, this shit doesn't make sense."

"No use thinking about it. Let's move on." Kazuma said, not wanting to continue this pointless banter any longer.

"This way, guys!" Morgana commanded and the three followed after him.

The three crossed the drawbridge and found themselves near the prison cells. The only problem is, when Ren and Ryuji passed through here the last time, they were sure they had prisoners in these cells. Now, they were empty, as if they were never there.

"Why ain't anyone here?" Ryuji rushed over to see if he wasn't hallucinating or if the prisoners weren't just hiding. They weren't, the cells were dead empty. He then angrily turned to the cat demanding answers. "Dammit, they were here before! Where'd they go!?"

"Quiet down!" The cat shushed him. "Are you trying to get us all caught?!"

"Oh yeah, there were more of 'em further in too...!" He realized before rushing ahead to find the lost prisoners.

"Don't go on without us, you idiot," Kazuma warned before going after him.

"They might have been transferred already." The cat informed Ren.

"Transferred?" He questioned. "Where exactly?"

Before he could answer that, he noticed Kazuma and Ryuji sprinting over in their direction.

"They're coming this way, lots of 'em"!" The blonde warned them.

"Thanks to you, moron." His classmate insulted.

This could be a problem. It appears the two didn't have the slightest clue of how many were on their way and if they were having trouble taking down one enemy like the Jack O' Lantern earlier, than dealing with a whole group could be problematic.

"It would be a problem if they discovered us now," Morgana said before noticing something about the room nearby. He walked closer to it and gestured the others to follow him. "Let's head into this room. We should be able to hide in there until they leave."

That was all they needed to hear and they rushed through the door, slamming it shut once they were inside with Kazuma and Ryuji pressing their weight against it in the attempt that they were found out.

"Don't worry, the shadows probably won't come in here." The cat informed them. Deciding to trust it, the two released themselves from the door.

"How can you tell?" Ryuji asked, still catching his breath.

"There's a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler's control over this area is weak." The cat explained.

Before Ryuji could complain, the scenery around them started to change, the distortions of the room becoming apparent to the group. Sakamoto's eyes widened as the distortions of the room gave off its real-world appearance.

"Is this a classroom!?" The spiky blonde questioned

"Now do you understand?" Morgana asked. "This place is another reality that the ruler's heart projects."

"This is Kamoshida's reality?" Sakamoto as he had a hard time grasping the reality of the situation. "Shit makes no sense at all!"

"One could say it's a world in which one's distorted desires have materialized." The cat continued to explain. "I call such a place a "Palace."

 _Palace_. Ren recognized that term, the same one Igor told him about.

"This is happening because he thinks the school is his own castle," Morgana stated.

"So, it became like this 'cause he just thought of it like that?!" Ryuji exclaimed, chuckling a bit at how ridiculous everything was before realizing this was real. He stomped on the ground, growling in utter rage. "That son of a bitch!"

The three looked on as he once again expressed his hatred and utter disgust for Suguru Kamoshida. This had nothing to do with the rumors, this was personal hatred.

"You must really hate this Kamoshida guy." The cat pointed out.

"Hate doesn't even cover how I feel about that piece of shit." The venomous frown that contorted Sakamoto's features was something that did not go unnoticed by his two companions. This wasn't hatred, it was something far worse. "Everything is that asshole's fault!"

"Everything?" Kazuma questioned what he meant by that.

"N-Nothing." The spiky blonde looked away. "J-Just forget it. It's nothing."

"Well, I don't know what happened between two, but don't let your emotions get the better of you," Morgana warned him, a little put off himself about Ryuji's attitude towards Kamoshida.

"We'll be careful," Ren interjected. "Before we go on, I have to ask. Do you know anything about these outfits, Morgana?"

"Ah, I knew this was coming." The cat shot up.

"Yeah, I'm curious as hell about it too." Sakamoto interrupted. "Like, why does he have a trench coat but Kazuma has something totally different."

"That's also because of this world." Morgana continued which made Ryuji groan in annoyance.

"More stuff that makes no sense." He said but the cat chose to ignore him.

"Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within his Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion." The cat explained thoroughly.

"So, these clothes are a representation of my will?" Ren questioned.

"Exactly." He nodded. "It's the image of the rebellion that you hold within."

"Wish mine had sleeves," Kazuma grumbled. He didn't mind sleeveless clothing but that was better suited for exercise. The hood was a nice touch though.

"Ugh! I'm so fed up with all this!" Ryuji exclaimed, turning his attention toward the cat. "I'm more curious about you than their clothes! What the hell are you anyway?!"

"I'm a human. An honest-to-god human!" He argued although that was met with skepticism.

"No, you're obviously more like a cat!" The blonde fired back.

"This is well... It's because I lost my true form." He said but he didn't appear to be sure. "I think."

"You think?" Kazuma questioned. "Meaning, you don't remember who you were or something?"

"Y-Yeah, something like that," he stated before regaining his confidence. "But, I do know how to regain my true form. The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means." He stated before looking away. "Well, I ended up getting caught though. But that's beside the point, I've been tortured by Kamoshida too! I'm gonna make him pay for sure!"

He seemed sure and while he was happy that he was on their side, Ryuji still couldn't believe that this cat-like whatever it was was actually once a living breathing human being.

"What is this, a comic book? This is seriously crazy." He commented before turning to the others. "What do you guys think? Should we trust him?"

"Without a doubt," Ren answered instantly which made the cat perk up at his trust. "He saved our lives, Ryuji. We'd be dead without him."

"So far it delivers. Though, if it tries anything I'll kill it." Kazuma threatened.

"T-That's good. Glad to see we're on the same page." Morgana stuttered a little, somewhat affected by his former cellmate's death threat, wondering if he was serious. "If we're gonna keep going, we should hurry along." He changed the subject before looking at his fellow Persona-Users. "I'll be counting on you, you rookies better not hold back."

"We'll do our best." Ren nodded, determined to see this through.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna force it all on you guys. I thought it might help so..." Ryuji pulled out his bag, showing that he brought firearms with him. Three pistols and a shotgun. "I brought these just in case! They're only model guns though so it only makes sounds!"

"That's a toy!" Morgana called him out.

"But it looks totally real, so it'll at least fake 'em out." He explained. "I brought some medicine too. You know what they say: Providin' is pre... something."

"Good job, Ryuji. You really came prepared." Ren gave a thumbs up at his companion's preparation.

"So you were planning this from the start?" Kazuma muttered, giving his classmate a nasty glare.

"Well, fine. If you're ready to go, we'll resume our infiltration." The cat rolled his eyes at the blonde for bringing toy guns.

"Here." Ryuji gave Ren his gun and medicine. He then handed one to Morgana.

"I don't need that worthless thing. I've got my own." He then pulled out what appeared to be a slingshot.

"What's that gonna do?" Sakamoto questioned but ignored it. If the cat was sure, the cat was sure. "Eh, whatever. Here dude. You have two weapons, might as well have two guns." He gave the extra gun to his classmate.

"Whatever." Kazuma took the two pistols from Ryuji and placed them in the empty holsters that he had with Amamiya placing his pistol in his coat pocket. "Let's get on with it. I'm tired of all this pointless chit-chat."

"Couldn't agree more, Brown hair," Morgana said as he moved towards the door. "There are probably still soldiers making their rounds outside. Let's take it slow."

"Right." Ren nodded as he opened the door slightly. As he peeked out the door, it appeared that most of the soldiers that came had gone, with only three still remaining and talking amongst themselves.

" **I thought I just heard something move over there. Guess it was my imagination.** "

" **And what of the slaves?** "

" **They're all in the training all. I'd assume they're screaming in pain by now.** "

" **Very well. By the way, I heard we may have intruders around. Stay on your guard.** "

And with that finished, they dispersed. Once they were gone, the group stepped out of the safe room to contemplate what they had learned from the guards.

"Did you hear that?" Morgana asked.

"I'm starting to wish I didn't." Ren said. Hearing those guards talking about slaves and screaming in pain was a little off-putting.

"They said trainin' hall, right?" Ryuji questioned.

"I think that's just a little further ahead. Let's go!" The cat finished as he took the lead and charged ahead. The group followed after Morgana down the stairs only to see him stop at the sight of a guard on duty. " Shoot. There's a guard on duty here. The way to the training hall should be through those bars."

"So, what're we gonna do? Do we gotta fight it?" Ryuji asked.

"Seems like it," Ren stated, turning to his fellow transfer student with a smirk. "I'll let you take this one."

"Hmph." Kazuma nodded as he waited for an opening. He then rushed forward, jumping onto the knight grabbing at its mask. "This is where you'll die!" He ripped off the mask, stepping back as it shook violently, transfiguring into not one but two flower type creatures, otherwise known as Mandrakes.

"Arsene!" Touching his mask, he summoned for his Persona who used Eiha on the mandrake to the right, hurting it but not killing it. It's partner decided to use the advantage to attack Ren. Using his dagger, he was able to block it just in time.

"Amamiya!" Kazuma rushed to his aid but the other Mandrake Ren had attacked earlier lunged forward and attacked him. He immediately pulled out his blades to deflect the blow but the force of the attack sent him flying into the nearby wall. "Ulysses, kill it!" He summoned his Persona, standing tall in front of his master to defend him. He pulled down his sunglasses and showed off his glowing eyes, casting Kouha and killing the damaged mandrake once and for all.

Ren was able to push off the Mandrake attacking him using all of his strength, freeing himself.

"Zorro!" Morgana rushed in, summoning his Persona and rushing to Ren's aid. The Persona's blade formed into a spring which then took the form of a large boxing glove, performing a Lucky Punch onto the shadow, knocking it backward.

"Now for the finale!" Amamiya thrust his hand forward, commanding Arsene to attack. The Gentleman Persona rushed forward, using its claws to cleave through the shadow, ending its life. Once they were clear, Ren collected the cash from its remains and rushed over to help Kazuma. "You alright?"

"I'll live." He grabbed Ren's hand and got up.

"I have to say, you're pretty tough, Kazuma." He complimented. "That was quite a nasty hit you took, but you still managed to keep fighting."

"You're not half bad either." He did his best to compliment him, although he looked away, not wanting to meet eye contact when he did.

"Actually, you both have some learning to do," Morgana interjected. "Though, for a couple of amateurs, you're not bad."

"Heh, thanks, Morgana." Ren thanked. "Alright gang, let's continue on."

He walked over to the cell doors that led to the training hall and pulled down the lever to gain entry. The door opened and the group continued on forward.

The way lead to some sort of underground passage, the atmosphere itself felt rather sinister. Who knows what went on down here. If it was anything like the dungeon, it can only get worse. As they went down the hall, they tried to take the nearby door only to find it locked, their only way would have to be the staircase that led downward. As they went down the stairs, they stopped and crouched down behind the barrels as they heard voices up ahead. Ren looked around the corner to see two more shadows conversing with one another. He leaned in closer to hear what they were saying.

" **Hey, have you see anyone who looks like an intruder?** "

" **No, nobody yet**."

"More enemies up ahead." Morgana noticed. "It'd be impossible to dodge all of them."

"Then, what do we do? Should we try and take 'em down like before?" Ryuji suggested.

"It's not that simple. We still have a long way to go, so we should be conserving energy." The cat explained.

"We have been using our Personas way too much. If we keep using them in every fight, we'll be too tired to even escape." Ren stated.

"I-I see. Sorry." Sakamoto apologized before cursing his apparent uselessness. "Dammit, I wish I could fight. I'd at least be able to help out a bit. But all I got is this toy from earlier. I'm such a loser." He thought, holding his model shotgun and thinking himself stupid for thinking toys could help in these situations.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. We wouldn't have got this far without your help." Ren comforted.

"Yeah, but..." Still, he felt down. His two companions had special powers that could be used to fight against these monsters and he couldn't do anything. He was such an idiot for thinking that simple model guns could have any effect on the shadows.

Or at least, that's what he believed.

When they brought up the model guns, Kazuma had an idea that maybe they weren't as useless as his classmate believes them to be. Normal rules don't apply in this world, after all, it was born from Kamoshida's beliefs that he is the ruler of Shujin Academy. What if he and his guards didn't believe this simple model gun to be a toy? What if they thought it was real?

"Hey, Cat," Kazuma called out.

"It's Morgana, Brown Hair." The cat fired back angrily.

"Whatever. You said this world came to be because of Kamoshida's belief that he rules Shujin Academy, making his counterpart here the King of the castle, right?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah." He replied, confused as to where he was going with this.

"Then what would happen if the Kamoshida here or his guards believed this toy gun to be real? Would it work like a real gun?" He brought up.

"Well, it's... possible." Morgana stuttered over his words as he himself didn't even know.

"What are you saying, dude?" Ryuji interjected. Even Ren himself was curious as to what his fellow transfer student was thinking of. If he had a plan to conserve energy, he was eager to hear it.

"Let's see if this works." He said, standing up from his hiding spot. He then walked over to the hallway, exposing himself to the guards. "Hey, asshats!" He exclaimed loudly, getting the guards attention. "You want an intruder? I'm right here!"

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?!" Sakamoto blurted out at his classmate for giving away their location.

" **Intruder! Stop!** " The two guards turned into Jack O' Lanterns and charged at him. He did as they ordered, he didn't move a muscle.

He didn't need to after all.

He pulled out his pistols, aimed it at the guards, and hoped his theory was correct.

As he pulled the trigger of one of his pistols, it let out a loud bang. It was a model gun and like Ryuji said, it made some noise. When the others looked toward the shadows, they noticed one of them had a hole in it's head, a bullet had managed to pierce through it.

"Holy shit!" Sakamoto said in awe.

"Ah, I see what you did there Brown Hair." Morgana complimented.

When Ren noticed that one of Kazuma's guns, supposedly a model gun, shot a real bullet through one of the guards, he understood Kazuma's theory.

 _The guards believe it's real. So that makes these toy guns..._ He smirked a little, fully understanding why these toys were working like real firearms. _Good job, Kazuma_.

He got up from the hiding spot and walked over to Kazuma, pulling out his own gun.

"I got the left." Ren told him.

"I'll finish off the right." Kazuma replied.

They both nodded and got to work. They both pointed their firearms at their respective targets and unleashed hell. Once they were finally dead, they both let down their weapons.

"When did you figure it out?" Ren asked curiously.

"It was a guess, really." Kazuma said. "I figured since we weren't in the real world..."

"That normal rules wouldn't apply here." He finished his sentence. "Nice work."

"Whoa!" Ryuji exclaimed as he and Morgana stepped out. "Did that toy gun just shoot real freakin' bullets?!"

"Well, this is a cognitive world. As long as your opponent sees it as real, it becomes such. It's a good thing it's realistic-looking." The cat pointed out.

"Wait for it." Kazuma believed.

"I don't get it." The spiky blonde said.

"Knew it." He sighed annoyingly.

"I wasn't expecting someone with your brains to understand." The cat playfully mocked before turning to Kazuma. "Good on you for figuring it out, Brown Hair."

"Whatever." He brushed off his compliment.

"Basically, they believe the gun is real so it becomes real," Ren stated in more simple terms to Ryuji. "See, not such loser anymore, are you?"

"Well, I guess." He said, glad that Ren was helping him out and making him feel better for bringing the guns, everything about this was starting to hurt his brain. "Wait, if it's better havin' something realistic, why do you have that slingshot?!"

W-Well, um." Morgana couldn't think of an explanation or a witty retort as to why he chose to use a slingshot in battle. "Fine, you can choose to understand it however you want."

"My guess is, it'll work in the same way as our guns, right Morgana?" Ren chose to lift up the cat's spirits now, seeing that he was a little down for having his weapon called out like that.

"Exactly. See, you get it." The cat perked up. He had to admit, he was beginning to like Frizzy Hair. He was smart, kind, and knew how to show respect. "Oh, by the way, we should decide how divvy up our roles in battle from here on out. As you can see, there are quite a lot of enemies. It'll be important to coordinate our moves as well. I can keep providing intel for us but you should be the one giving out orders, Frizzy Hair."

"I think I can handle that," Ren said taking on the responsibility but he wasn't finished. "Then, I ask that Kazuma act as my partner and support."

"What?" He replied, a little caught off guard by Amamiya's offer.

"Sounds good to me. You two do work well together, after all." The cat nodded, agreeing with the arrangement.

"Is it alright with you?" Ren asked

"I don't care." He simply shrugged.

"Then, it's settled." He took that as a yes. "Let's move on."

The group continued on through the underground passage. Ryuji took it upon himself to keep an eye out for any more enemies, wanting to make himself useful to the group. Thankfully, it appeared to be smooth sailing from here on out as they ventured forth through the underground passage with ease.

Unfortunately, as they rounded the corner, they found another guard was blocking their path.

"I'm pretty sure that's where we need to go." Morgana stated, "This might be a good time."

"For what?" Kazuma questioned, wondering what the cat was planning.

"Ok, I've decided. I'm going to teach you two a special way to fight enemies!" The cat said.

"Sounds good. Let's get started!" Ren exclaimed as he rushed over to the guard, slashing at it with his dagger.

It fell backward from the attack, shaking violently before transfiguring into what appeared to be a tiny fairy, almost like a Pixie. As harmless as it's appearance, they knew better.

"Listen, there's a distinct flow to battles. Let me show you. After all, seeing is... something?" Morgana did his best to explain. "First, knock down all enemies! Everything starts at that crucial step!"

"I'll leave it to you, Amamiya," Kazuma stated,

"No problem. Persona!" He summoned forth his Persona, who then proceeded to cat Eiha onto the lone Pixie, greatly injuring it as it fell to the ground, unable to offer a counterattack.

"All right! Now rush on in for an **All-out Attack!** " The cat commanded.

"All right!" Ren flapped his coat excitedly, performing a backflip for dramatic effect and to gain some distance. "Kazuma, let's do it!"

"Right!" He did the same.

Once they had their distance, They leaped into the air and rushed forward, attacking the Pixie from every direction. Their bodies felt as if they were on fire, never in their lives did they feel this fast, it was almost as if their bodies were moving on its own. It felt.

It was so exhilarating!

When they were done, Ren took the moment to adjust his gloves, smirking in victory as the Pixie dissolved away.

" **The Show's Over!** " He taunted at the dying shadow.

Once it was over, they took a moment to catch their breath as both Ren and Kazuma tried their best to comprehend the act in which they performed. Ren was in the heat of the moment so after calming down, he couldn't believe he was capable of such speed and finesse.

"That went really well!" Morgana complimented. "You're both definitely fit for this."

"What the hell was that?!" Ryuji questioned. "It all happened so fast!"

"I told you, it's called an All-out Attack." The cat said. "If you manage to knock all the enemies down, you might be able to use it to beat them all at once."

"Yeah, that was over quick." The blonde added.

"It's a concentrated attack on defenseless enemies, after all." Morgana continued.

"It's definitely something we should take advantage of in future battles," Ren stated.

"We've wasted enough time, let's get going," Kazuma interjected, wanting to move on.

Now that everyone knew they were in the clear, they approached the door slowly. Ren gripped the door handle with one hand while keeping his pistol ready with the other. Kazuma had his pistols ready as well, with the number of enemies they've had to face, they were not about to take any chances. The two looked at one another to confirm they were ready.

* * *

Once the door was open, they rushed in, firearms armed and ready.

"We're clear," Kazuma stated as he placed his pistols back into the holsters.

With no enemies in the room, they relaxed a bit. As he looked around, the group found themselves in some sort of barracks, likely a place where the guards would come to unwind and relax.

"All right, this is it!" Morgana announced.

They were definitely near the training hall but the banner hanging above the door in front of them said something else.

"Kamoshida's... Training Hall of... Love?" Ryuji read it out. "What kinda bullshit is this?!"

"I don't like this," Ren said, the banner was very strange and the insinuations it gave off made him very uncomfortable. "Let's keep going."

They moved but through the door, thankfully no enemies. They continued on as they hear more screams of agony in the distance. Something was definitely happening in this "Training Hall".

As they crossed the drawbridge, the screaming became more clear.

"Oh! Is it coming from over there?!" Ryuji rushed over to the wooden gate where he heard screaming. As he looked down, he couldn't believe his eyes. "Guys."

The others joined him soon after and when they looked down, they were abhorred by what they saw.

The prisoners from earlier were dressed in athletic uniforms and were being held against a volleyball net as more of those shadow creatures repeatedly began hitting them in the back. They screamed in pain, begging for mercy but wouldn't let up.

"My god." It took every strong bone in Ren's body to keep his disgust in check. The sight was repulsive and horrifying as he watched the guards continuously beat the prisoners.

"Jesus Christ." Kazuma cringed at the sight. They were treating the prisoners like they weren't even human. Their begging and pleading fell on deaf ears, no mercy was shown.

"Dammit! This is bullshit!" Ryuji cursed out loud, the sight making him so angry he couldn't stop shaking.

"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down?!" The cat warned.

"But this is beyond messed up!" The blonde argued before grabbing onto the gate. "How do I open this?"

"Stop it!"

They were interrupted by one of the prisoners approaching the gate who looked to be in severe pain.

"Leave us alone. It's useless."

"Huh?!" Ryuji said in shock.

"If we stay obedient, we won't be executed like you guys." Another one approached them, informing them why they can't do anything about their situation.

"You're tellin' me you wanna stay in a place like this?!" He continued to argue but they just ignored him and walked away.

"Wait a minute." The cat stopped for a moment. "Were you planning on taking these guys out of here?"

"We can't just leave 'em here!" The blonde argued.

"How stupid can you be?" The cat taunted once more, mentally face-palming at the blonde's stupidity.

"What?!" He fired back angrily, getting sick and tired of this cat insulting him.

"These are only humans in Kamoshida's cognition. They aren't real humans that have entered from reality. They're different from you three." Morgana explained.

"Cognition?" Ryuji rose an eyebrow at the word. The cat has said it several times before, but still had no clue as to what it meant.

"It means there's no point in saving them! They're different from the real ones in the real world." The cat continued to press his point.

"In other words, they aren't real." Kazuma brought up.

"Exactly." Morgana nodded.

"The hell?! Why's it gotta be so complicated?!" Sakamoto complained before looking back toward the tortured prisoners. As he looked at them, in severe pain, he clenched his fist, anger rising. He was starting to piece it all together. "So the school's a castle, the students are slaves, and he's the King? It's so on point that it makes me laugh. This really is the inside of that asshole's head!"

As Kazuma watched his classmate get angry about this, he decided enough was enough. If he was going to continue, it was time for Ryuji to be honest.

"I think it's about time you start telling us the truth." He stated, talking to Ryuji.

"What?" He replied, confused by his confrontation.

"Kazuma, now's not..."

"Shut up, Amamiya. He owes us." He warned before facing the blonde. "I've had to listen to you whine and complain about Kamoshida from the moment we came back here and you haven't been honest with us. What is your problem with him?"

"That..." He looked away, clenching his fist. His classmate brought up memories that he didn't wish to relive at the moment. "That's none of your business, dude."

"You want me to keep helping you, you better give me a reason to trust you." Kazuma glared, warning him he won't take that as an answer. "This is beyond just mere dislike. You hate him, you hate his guts, and no one holds that kind of animosity for someone unless they really hurt you in some way. So what did he do to you?"

"Stop it. I don't want to talk about." He continued to deflect it.

"Is it because of your leg?" He brought up which seemed to have triggered some kind of reaction from Ryuji as he looked at his classmate with the angriest expression Ren had ever seen. "Is that why? Did he..."

He couldn't finish his sentence as Ryuji grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him up against the wall rather roughly. He kept calm, but the blonde was clenching his teeth in pure rage from being called out like this and bringing up memories he never wanted to remember again.

"I'm warning you, dude! Back off!" He screamed in his face, demanding that he step off.

"You're such a coward." Kazuma insulted.

"I don't wanna hear that shit from you! You didn't even want to come back here so shut up!" He fired back.

"Stop it! Now!" Ren got in between the two and pushed them apart. Once the two were apart, he prepared to scold them. "Kazuma, you need to leave Ryuji alone. Whatever his personal issue is with Kamoshida, it's no one's business but his own." He then turned to the spiky blonde. "And you need to keep your cool, I'd rather not attract every guard in the castle to our location. Take a minute to chill out, both of you."

"Tch." Ryuji clicked his tongue, still keeping his glare on Kazuma. "You're a real asshole, you know that?"

"Whatever." Kazuma shrugged his insult off as nothing.

As he waited for them to calm down, Ren turned to Morgana who wanted to stay out of this heated discussion.

"They gonna be alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, just give them a minute," Ren said. Morgana opted for a change of subject in order to put this tension behind them as he approached the wooden gate to look at the tortured prisoners.

"This is horrible." The cat winced a little. Even they weren't real people, this was inhuman. "It must mean he treats them as slaves in the real world too."

"In the real world too?" Ryuji repeated that last part as he decided to put his little scuffle with his classmate behind and looked back at the prisoners. As he got a better look at them, he realized just who they were. "Wait, I know these guys. They're members of the volleyball team. The one Kamoshida coaches for!"

"Really?" Ren commented as he looked upon the tortured prisoners.

"They must be physically abused every day. There's no way they'd be so beaten up normally." Morgana added.

"Don't tell me..." Ryuji's eyes widened as he came to a realization. If these fake versions of them were being tortured, then the ones in the real world are...

"This must mean Kamoshida is abusing them in the real world too. Probably passing it off as 'training', I bet." Kazuma believed.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's gotta be it!" Ryuji agreed with his classmate, having completely forgotten about their earlier scuffle. "Like, just yesterday, I saw Suzui-san with this leg brace that she supposedly got from practice! God dammit, why didn't I effin' see it!"

"Suzui-san?" Kazuma questioned.

"She's in our class, dude. She doesn't wear the blazer, black hair in a ponytail?" Sakamoto brought up.

 _That girl? So, Suzui's her name?_ Kazuma recognized the description. That girl in his class, the same girl from the train station. _She's on the volleyball team?_

"I heard Kamoshida's usin' physical punishment. They're just rumors, but... If they're true, wouldn't this be somethin' to report to the police?" The spiky blonde questioned.

"Maybe they're too afraid to speak up." Ren thought.

"Then I'll use these guys as evidence. If it all goes well, we can take down that asshole Kamoshida." Ryuji believed but he saw that his phone's camera application wouldn't respond to his touch. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Ren questioned.

"It's not workin'?!" He complained as he kept trying to unlock the camera to no avail. "We can use the navigation app, but the camera's a no go?!"

"Navigation app?" Morgana questioned, wondering what he was referring too.

"That's what we used to come here," Ryuji explained. "What about you guys?"

Ren and Kazuma checked their phones and checked to see if they could use their cameras.

"Nope," Amamiya stated.

"None here." Kazuma did the same.

"Whatever you do is fine, but we're gonna get caught if we stand around like this," Morgana warned, reminding them that they've been here for too long. There's no telling when more guards would show up, or if the ones currently torturing those prisoners would stop and take notice. "We need to head back!"

"Hang on a sec." Ryuji stopped before taking a good look at the prisoners. "There's no other way. I'll just memorize their faces before goin' home!"

"Hurry it up!" The cat rushed,

"Alright got it," Sakamoto said. One they opened the exit, they found more prison cells likely holding more prisoners. Ryuji wasn't going to leave one prisoner unchecked. "Let's check the cells 'round there."

As they continued on, they came across more prisoners being tortured, only the method was different. As they came upon more prisoners, they found three of them running on a treadmill-looking device, chasing after what appeared to be a jug of water hanging a few feet away from them. They chased after it as best they could, slipping and falling being certain death as they would be crush by the spikes behind them, threatening to take their lives.

"Not givin' athletes water even for tough trainin' is a common thing in the real world too." Ryuji pointed out, disgusted by the sight.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ren stated, the sight was horrible.

"Then don't look," Kazuma told him. "Let's keep going."

They kept walking until they came across another prisoner, huddled up in the corner of his cell. When he looked over to the group, he appeared even more frightened, not by them, but by what would happen if he conversed with them.

"I don't know why you guys are here... but just leave us alone." He begged.

"What're you talking about!? You're seriously OK with this?!" Sakamoto argued.

"There's no point in talking to them." Kazuma brought up, wanting to get a move on. "They're not real, so don't waste your time."

Ryuji silently agreed and moved along. The next sight was even worse than the previous ones. They watched as a prisoner was hanging upside down from a rope tied around his legs as a cannon shot out volleyballs, hitting him in the face several times.

"Agh! Gah!" The prisoner gasped as he was pummeled by volleyballs over and over. "It hurts! It hurts!

"The hell? This ain't trainin' at all. It's just violence!" He stated, not sure if he could take more of this.

"Wait, I know that guy." Ren pointed out, that blue-tinted hair was easily recognizable. "He's in my class!"

"Huh?" Ryuji questioned before getting a good look at him. "Wait, That's Mishima!"

"Mishima?" Kazuma questioned.

"He's 2-D's representative who's on the volleyball team. I swore I saw him the other day with bruises all over his face." The spiky blonde realized. "This means he's doin' something similar in reality too, right? Damn that bastard!"

"Will you hurry it up." The cat rushed him once more, not wanting to stick around here any longer.

"I know, I know, just give me a sec!" He replied. He then stepped away from the gate. "Alright, I got all of 'em."

"Then let's stop wasting time! We need to scram!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Then let's go," Ren ordered as the group followed after him.

They backtracked their way back to where the safe room was. Thankfully, since there were no guards so there was no need to fight. Once they finally made back to where the safe room was, they took a short breather.

"All right, we're back," Sakamoto said. "We gotta get outta here, quick!"

"The watch post near the training hall has ceased reporting!"

They heard the voice of a guard nearby, likely reinforcements.

"Chances of intruder activity are extremely high! All personnel, increase security measures!"

"Get down! Get down!" Ren commanded as the group hid behind the nearby crates. As he looked over he saw a guard quickly making his rounds over by the drawbridge. Since they were well hidden, the guard left, believing there were no intruders.

"Tch, we've stayed here too long," Morgana complained as they left their hiding spots. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

Once they were in the clear, they left the area and made their way back to the entrance hall. There were no enemies ahead, they were in the clear. The exit was so close.

But as they made their way to the middle of the entrance hall, guards came out of nowhere, approaching the group. One of them stood out from the others, a guard whose army was plated in gold, likely the captain in charge. And at the head...

"You knaves again?" King Kamoshida, once again donning his bathrobe, gazed at the intruders with a sneer at the sight of them. "To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless!"

"Mr. Pink Undies, what a pleasant surprise." Ren mocked, the nickname causing his eye to twitch.

"You!" Kazuma growled at the sight of him, immediately placing his hands on his pistols.

"The school ain't your castle!" Ryuji exclaimed angrily. "I've memorized their faces real good. You're goin' down!"

"It seems it's true when they say 'barking dogs seldom bite'." He mocked at his efforts. "How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."

"The hell are you gettin' at?!" Sakamoto angrily asked.

"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams." The King continued. "Oh, I can imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your... selfish act."

"Ngh." He really must've hit a nerve as Ryuji couldn't think of any kind of retort.

"Track Traitor?" Ren questioned, wondering what he meant.

"What a surprise? It's the problem transfer students." Kamoshida recognized the two from the other day. "So you two are accompanying him without knowing anything at all?"

"Speak, jackass. What are you talking about?" Kazuma demanded.

"He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever." He shook his head in disappointment.

"That's not true!" Ryuji winced at his words, each one attacking him at his core.

"You've come along with this fool and are now going to end up dead. How unlucky of you." He turned away from them. "Go. Kill them all. Don't sully my castle with garbage."

The guard captain raised his blade, ordering his subordinates to do as their King instructed. They shook violently, transfiguring into their real forms. Turning into dirty two-horned beast, three Bicorns readied themselves to face their King's enemies.

"Goddammit." Ryuji cursed as these shadows were unlike the previous ones they've fought. One of them charged toward the blonde, attempting to kill him.

"Look out!" Kazuma rushed forward, tackling Ryuji away from the Bicorn that lunged at him. Once he was safe, it was time to fight. "Persona!"

Summoning Ulysses, the Persona managed to kick the Bicorn away from the blonde, securing Ryuji's safety. However, it recovered in mere seconds and quickly surrounded the Persona-Users.

"We're surrounded," Morgana noted.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you 'cause King Kamoshida told us! I'll kill 'cause that's what he wants!"

"Come on then, you disgusting beasts! Let's see what you've got! Arsene!" Ren summoned forth his Persona, cleaving at the Bicorn in his way only for it to shrug off the damage and lunge forward, attacking the Persona. As it struggled against the beast, Arsene had trouble trying to gain an advantage before another Bicorn lunged into it, sending it to the ground. "No!" Ren watched as his Persona returned to him as his mask.

He then pulled out his pistol and fired shots at the bicorns. While it caused some amount of damage, he ran out of bullets before he could kill it. The two then lunged forward, using their combined strength to attack Ren, knocking him backward onto the ground.

"Amamiya!" Kazuma rushed over to aid him only to have the two Bicorns charged to him. He pulled out his pistols only to find that he too, had run out of ammo. He then pulled out his blades and blocked their blow, struggling against it. "Monsters! I won't let you..." His sentence was interrupted when the third Bicorn Ulysses had kicked away rammed into him at full speed. "GAH!"

"Frizzy Hair! Brown Hair!" Morgana rushed to their aid. "Zorro!" He summoned his persona, attempting to perform a Lucky Punch, only for them to dodge it and lunge toward the cat, knocking him down, causing Zorro to return to his master.

Ren and Kazuma couldn't do anything as they had been defeated. They watched as King Kamoshida made his presence known once again, stepping onto Morgana as if he was a carpet rug.

"Oof!" He gasped for air. "You piece of..."

"Morgana!" Ren tried to get up, only for the guard captain to hold him down with his foot.

"No...!" Kazuma tried to help his companions but one of the guards pressed it's foot against his back, preventing him from getting up.

"I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn't that right?" He mocked, looking over to where Ryuji was. He fell to his knees as each of the Bicorns returned to their original forms. He felt so helpless. All he had was a shotgun and even with that, he was outnumbered

"No." He replied, wanting to convince himself rather than him.

"What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly. How dare you raise your hand against me." The King pressed his foot even harder into Morgana's back, causing him pain. "Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?"

"Wasn't no practice! It was physical abuse!" Ryuji exclaimed, slamming his fists into the ground. "You just didn't like our team!"

"It was nothing but an eyesore!" He growled, pretty much confirming what The blonde had said. "The only one who needs to achieve results is me! That coach who got fired was hopeless too. Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg."

"What?!" Ren looked up as he heard what Kamoshida had said.

"So, it's true," Kazuma whispered as he heard what the King had said.

"D-Damn it." Ryuji looked down as his secret was revealed. Why he hated Kamoshida so much. Why he wanted to come back here.

"Do you need me to deal with your other leg too?" He threatened. "The school will call it self-defense anyway!"

"Dammit. Am I gonna lose again?" Ryuji never felt so defeated. It was bad enough that he couldn't fight, but now he dragged Ren and Kazuma into this, and because of him, they were as good as dead. "Not only can I not run anymore. The track team is gone too 'cause of this asshole!"

"Ryuji..." Morgana whimpered at what he had learned. To have something important taken away from you, he couldn't help but sympathize. He then felt the King push his foot harder into his back. "AGH!"

"Once these three are dealt with, you're next," Kamoshida stated before breaking into laughter at his uselessness.

"Ryuji!" Ren called out. "Don't let him win! You..."

"Get up, Sakamoto!" Kazuma screamed out. Ryuji looked up as he heard his classmate call him out. "Look at you, whining and crying like a child, feeling sorry for yourself! What is wrong with you?! This man ruined your life! You just going to sit there and let him get away with it?!"

"N-No, but..." Ryuji stuttered as he heard his classmate yell at him with such passion.

"Then prove it. Or you'll just be confirming everything he's saying." He finished, wondering if that knocked some sense into this idiot.

"Y-You." It was almost ironic, to think Kazuma of all people would be pushing him to stand up to these assholes. Just a few minutes ago, he was calling him out for keeping secrets, now he was helping him. Even so, he had a point. If he doesn't do anything, then everything Kamoshida said would be true. "You're right." He stated as he tried to stand up. "Everything that was important to me was taken by him. I'll never get 'em back!"

"Stay there and watch." Kamoshida continued to mock him. "Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you."

"No, that's what you are!" Ryuji fired as he stood tall, no longer afraid. "All you think about is using people! You're the real trash Kamoshida! Now leave my friends alone!"

He approached the King slowly, fearing nothing as his classmate's words pushed him to prove that everything Kamoshida had said about him was wrong. That he was the villain, not him.

"What are you doing? Silence..."

"Shut up!" He screamed, interrupting him before pointing angrily at him. "Stop lookin' down on me with that stupid smile on your face!"

...

...

 _ **You made me wait quite a while.**_

Ryuji's eyes shot open as his iris' turned golden yellow. A wave of indescribable pain coursed through his head, the worst pain imaginable.

"A-Aaagh!" He clutched his head in agony.

 _ **You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact.**_

He fell to his knees as the voice that raged within him did nothing to ease his pain.

 _ **Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The "other you" who exists within desires it thus.**_

He clutched the ground as the pain wouldn't stop. No matter how much he tried, he could not stop this agony.

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **There is no turning back.**_

 _ **The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!**_

At the end of that final declaration, Ryuji raised his head as a mask formed on his face.

"Ryuji," Ren said softly as he realized what his friend had accomplished.

"Hmph. What can you do?" The guard captain mocked as he raised his blade, prepared to end Ren's life. "Cower in fear and watch!"

The spiky blonde got up on his own two feet, the pain finally gone. He gripped the mask with both of his hands.

"Aah." He ripped it off using all of his strength, unleashing his hidden potential. "HRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Soon, his body was engulfed in blue fire which surrounded the entire room. The force of these flames was so strong, it pushed the enemies off of the others, freeing them at last.

When the flames finally cleared, the others looked as Ryuji stood tall with his newly awakened Persona. a pirate, standing tall aboard his flying ship, spotting a hand cannon on its right arm and a wicked glare for his foes.

Ryuji looked up with a smirk of victory as he felt the power in his hands.

"Ugh... This one as well?!" Kamoshida mentioned as now Sakamoto had one of those... things.

"Right on! Wassup, Persona." He clenched his fists, excitement coursing through him. "This effin' rocks!"

The others stood up, now free from the enemies. They walked over, weapons in hand, ready to aid to newly awakened Persona-User.

"Now that I got his power, it's time for payback." He stated, cracking his knuckles, itching for a fight. "Yo, I'm ready." He pulled out what appeared to be a pipe, eager to let loose and drop some heads. "Bring it!"

"Ngh!" The guard captain wasn't going to let this stand. He wouldn't fail his King! "Don't mock me, you brat!" He slammed his sword down, changing into his true form, that of the horseman, Eligor who came charging at him

"Blast him away! Captain Kidd!" Ryuji ordered, pointing at his foe. The pirate Persona pointed his hand cannon and shot out a Zio, greatly injuring him.

"GAH!" Eligor grunted from the damage. "What troublemakers that bother King Kamoshida with trifle matters!"

"Kamoshida's cognition ain't changin', right? Then I'll act like the troublemaker I am!" Sakamoto exclaimed, looking toward his companions.

"You got this Ryuji!" Ren gave him a thumbs up. "End this party with a bang!"

"You have an advantage, the others turned tail and ran." Kazuma pointed out. "So stop wasting time and kill it already."

"Let's see what you can do." The cat gave him the go-ahead.

"Thanks, guys," Ryuji said, turning back to the guard captain, ready to kick some ass. "Let's do this, Captain Kidd!"

As he prepared, Eligor summoned reinforcements to aid him.

"Nice try, dumbass!" The spiky blonde mocked as he commanded Kidd to destroy his reinforcements, killing each Bicorn with a Zio. He then had his Persona refocus on Eligor, shooting Zios to end the shadow. It kept dodging his attacks and Ren believed it wouldn't stay still unless they make him.

"Kazuma!" Ren called out.

"Yeah, I know!" He caught on.

"Persona!" The two summoned forth their Personas to aid their companion. They each came at the shadow in opposite directions, even with their speed, they were having a hard time catching it.

"I got this! Zorro!" Morgana summoned forth his Persona, hurting it was a Garu. Now that it was stunned, Arsene and Ulysses grabbed onto it, allowing the Kidd the final blow.

"Let's go, Captain!" Ryuji ordered one final time, Kidd aimed for the heart and fired! Shooting Zio through its chest, destroying it but not killing it. It reverted back to its original form and it fell down next to King Kamoshida. It took him a moment to catch his breath but once he did, he shot a confident look toward the king. "How 'bout that?!

"So Ryuji had the potential too." Morgana pointed out.

"I knew he had it in him," Ren commented.

"Guess he's not as useless as he thought he was," Kazuma stated.

They all turned their attention back to the King, wondering what the bastard was going to pull next.

"Even if you apologize now, I ain't forgivin' you!" Ryuji proclaimed.

"Hmph." He shrugged off his insult, his face returning to that shit-eating grin he had on a few moments ago. "I told you that this is my castle. It seems you don't understand." He then held out his hand, as he signaled someone to approach him

They watch as a girl in a skimpy bikini walked down the stairs and rushed over to the King's side. Only, the identity of this girl left them all stunned.

"What the...?" Ren recognized as the girl turned out to be his classmate.

"Takamaki?!" Ryuji shared the same stunned look.

"What is she doing here?" Kazuma wondered and why was she wearing such a skimpy outfit.

"Wha.." Morgana was left stunned at the sight, the beauty next to the foul king was utterly gorgeous. "What a meow-velous and beautiful girl!"

She wrapped her arms around the King, cuddling her head against him

"What's going on?!" Sakamoto exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing?! Get away from him!"

"Wait, Ryuji." Ren stopped him for a moment. "That may not be the real one. She's probably like those prisoners, just a fake duplicate."

"How many times must I tell you until you understand?" Kamoshida replied, cupping her face in his hand. "This is MY castle. A place which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me. Ain't that right, babe?" He gave her a firm smack on her rear.

"Oooh, you're so naughty!" She cooed which sickened the others.

"I'm going to throw up," Ren said. This was definitely not the Ann Takamaki from class.

"Are you jealous?" Kamoshida mocked. "Well, I'm not surprised. Women aren't drawn to problematic punks like you."

"Dammit!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Clean them up this instant!" The King ordered. More guards appeared in front of the group, ready to fight.

"We're outnumbered," Morgana noted. "Let's scram before we get surrounded again!"

"We're not gonna do anything and just run?!" The spiky blonde complained, not wanting it to end here.

"You have a better idea?" Kazuma inquired, knowing he didn't.

"We can't die here, Ryuji. Let's get out and come up with a plan for later." Ren suggested.

"Thank god you guys have level heads." The cat said.

"Ugh, fine," Ryuji said annoyingly before making one final declaration to the King. "We'll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!"

"Hahaha! I was beginning to get bored of torturing the ones here!" Kamoshida laughed, not taking his threat seriously. "Come at me whenever you want, if you don't care about your life!"

"Oh don't worry, when we're back, it'll be your last surprise, Pink Undies." Ren taunted before giving a formal bow the everyone in a very taunting matter. "Until then, I bid you adieu, gentlemen."

With that, they turned and ran towards the exit. Once they made it to the room, they quickly went through the ventilation shaft and made it safely back to the entrance.

* * *

Once they knew they were safe, they stopped to catch their breath. This wasn't like their first trip at all, they were more concerned with getting out than performing an investigation. They were not prepared for this but that would change. Next time they met with the King, it will be his last surprise.

He'll never see it coming.

"Anyways," Ryuji said after finally catching his breath before bringing up something he just noticed. "I don't remember changin' into this?!"

"Huh?" Ren looked to see that just like him and Kazuma, his appearance had completely changed. It now consisted of a matching black jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves, and a skull mask. "It's like ours."

"Yeah." He looked over. With clothes came his melee weapon, a steel pipe strapped to his belt.

"You look like a thug if anything else," Kazuma stated which Ryuji didn't appreciate.

"What the hell?! Eff you, dude! At least mine has sleeves!" He fired back.

"Is now really the time to be fighting over who's outfit is better?" Ren interjected.

" **Did you find them?!** "

They heard a voice from within the castle, likely one of the guards still looking for them.

"Quiet!" Morgana demanded.

" **No. Search that way!** "

Once the voices died down, they were in the clear.

"So, what's goin' on? I'm completely lost, man!" Ryuji asked.

"I told you before." Morgana brought up. "When a Persona-User opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It's to prevent you from being affected by distortions."

"Is this... a skull?" The blonde reached up and touched his mask.

"Your appearance reflects your inner self. It's the rebel that slumbers within." The cat explained before giving the blonde a sly look. "Not that you'll get it, right?"

"Nope." Ryuji slumped his head.

"Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is." The cat argued.

"Easy for you to say." He crossed his arms in annoyance.

"In other words, it's a side effect of gaining your Persona," Ren stated in more simple terms. "It wouldn't be right for all of us to have the same outfit. So, this outfit represents what you are deep down."

"Like I said, a thug." Kazuma made one last remark.

"Shaddup!" The blonde fired back. "You think just because you have a hood, that yours is cooler than mine?!"

"I didn't say anything like that, moron." He fired back, glaring at his classmate for his stupid insinuation.

"Up yours!" Ryuji threw out one last insult before realizing something. "Wait, we're in deep shit!"

"I said to be quiet!" Morgana exclaimed again for the loud blonde.

"We might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school." He brought up.

"That's quite sharp of you... For being an idiot." The cat teased. "Relax. The Kamoshida in reality can't possibly know about what happens here."

"How so?" Ren asked.

"Because 'King' Kamoshida is the shadow-self of the real one." He explained. "A shadow is the true self that is suppressed, a side of one's personality they don't want to see."

"So Pink Undies is a shadow? Like those guards?" The probationer questioned.

"Exactly, only he's not just any shadow, he's a shadow-self, powerful beings who rule over Palaces." Morgana continued.

"So, we're OK?" Ryuji asked nervously.

"Did the Kamoshida in reality remember your first escape?" The cat brought up and the others look stunned as they remember that the real Kamoshida did nothing of the sort. "There you have it."

"All right!" The blonde exclaimed, getting fired up at the prospect of getting rid of Kamoshida. "Now that we know that, all we gotta do is..."

"Wait." The cat interrupted just when he was in the moment. "I guided you as promised. It's your turn to cooperate with me."

"Say what?" The blonde questioned.

"That's why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything." The cat crossed his arms.

"Cooperate?" He replied, wondering what he meant.

"Don't you remember? I originally came here for an investigation." Morgana brought up. "I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That's why we must delve into Mementos and..."

"Shut up." Kazuma interrupted harshly, stopping the cat from talking. "We don't owe you anything, cat. As I recall, none of us made any promises to help you."

"Huh?" The cat replied, stunned by his former cellmate's cold words and the possibility that none of them were going to help him. "Don't tell me... Are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you?"

"Like I said, I don't owe you anything." Kazuma finished as he walked away.

"Is it because I'm not human? Because I'm like a cat?" He was starting to ask questions. "Is that why you're making a fool of me?!

"We're busy!" Sakamoto told him off, before kneeling down. "Thanks for everything, cat. You've got guts, bein' a cat and all." He then stood back up. "See you around."

Ryuji followed after his classmate, leaving Morgana behind. Ren simply gave a wave as he followed after his companions.

"I bid thee farewell, Sir Morgana!" He said, chuckling as he ran off after the others.

"Hey, what the hell?!" The cat cried out, running after the others. "Ugh, seriously! Why're you wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory?! Oh, hell no! Get back here!"

* * *

 **You have returned to the real world. Welcome back**

The confirmation from the navigation app was all they needed to know that they had left the castle and have returned to reality. If not that, the nearby students leaving the school were enough proof.

Whatever it was about that place, it really wore the three out. It wasn't like last time, there was more fighting than last time and once again, they were this close to dancing with death. However, Ren wasn't content with leaving this alone. He made a vow to Pink Undies and he will take him down as well as expose the real Kamoshida for his crimes against the school.

"Thank god. We're back." Ryuji said, having finally calmed down. "I dragged you guys around a lot, huh? I'm sorry."

"No apologies necessary. We knew the risks." Ren replied.

"Ugh," He groaned a little, utterly exhausted. "I'm dead tired. How you holdin' up?"

"I'll live." He replied before turning to his partner. "What about you, Kazuma? You okay?"

"Just peachy," Kazuma replied curtly, trying to catch his breath.

"Man, that place wore me out. I'm gonna sleep like a rock when I get home." The spiky blonde stated before changing the subject. "But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good!"

"Couldn't agree more." The probationer said. "We finally a lead to go on."

"Yep, and I totally remember the faces of the guys Kamoshida was treatin' like slaves." Ryuji brought up. "Once we make 'em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done."

"You're joking right?" Kazuma asked rudely. "You saw how they were in the castle, you really think any of them will actually testify?"

"We won't know unless we try," Ren argued. "One of them has to be sick of how they're being treated. If we can get just one testimony, it'll be one step closer to bringing Pink Undies to justice."

"You're preaching to the choir, Amamiya." His fellow transfer student remained pessimistic.

"Cmon, man. Have some faith, will ya? You're totally killing the vibe." The blonde complained. "So... wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?"

"You don't even have to ask. I'm in." Ren gave his loyalty to the cause and to Ryuji.

"What about you, man?" Ryuji asked his classmate. "I could really use your help."

Kazuma sighed, how many times was he going to be goddamn Santa Claus this week?

Then again, it's like Ren said before they went to the castle, there was no way he could continue on with someone like Kamoshida prancing around doing whatever the hell he wants. And after what he saw in the castle there is no way he could let this go.

"Fine." He gave his answer.

"Now that's what I'm takin' about!" The blonde exclaimed happily. "Oh, and I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. You were right, I wasn't being honest and you didn't deserve that."

"It's whatever." He brushed off his apology as he didn't really take offense to his outburst against him.

"But seriously though, you really saved my ass back there. Gave me one hell of a wake-up call." He held out his hand for a handshake. "What do you say, dude? Wanna start over?"

Kazuma looked at his hand and the first instinct was to ignore it, just like he did when they first met. Then again, while he didn't care for his apologies for their earlier spats, he had to admit that he gained some respect for the spiky-haired delinquent. He was loud, annoying, and not very smart. But, he wasn't like everyone else. He didn't care for labels or rumors, he was friendly just like Ren was when they first met. He looked towards the boy in question who was giving him a look that just said go for it.

Make no mistake, they were not his friends, but he had nothing to lose associating with them for the time being. He grabbed his hand and shook it.

Despite their differences, it appears that Ryuji and Kazuma were slowly beginning to understand each other, as classmates and as companions.

...

 ** _I am thou, thou art I._**

 ** _Thou hast established a new bond._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _From the self-suffused with divine love to the self-capable of demonic cruelty._**

 ** _A new_ self has _been born._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _Thou hast_ given _birth to the Arcana of Chariot that shall grant thee new power._**

...

 _There it is again?!_ Kazuma thought in his head as that same voice rang through his head. It was the same voice that he heard when he gave Amamiya his contact information. What was the meaning behind it?

"About time you guys decided to get along." Ren teased. "I was beginning to think I would have to baby you both forever."

"S-Shaddup, it's not like we were fighting or anything." Ryuji fired back before changing the subject about their reputations. "So listen, guys, If you're thinkin' of layin' low, I don't think that'll help."

"You think so?" Ren asked. It wasn't really his intention to "lay low" as Sakamoto put it, but he wasn't planning to draw too much attention to himself.

"It's just, everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal." He explained.

"Trust me, I've heard." The probationer replied, already aware his reputation is in the gutters.

"And you dude," Ryuji turned to his classmate. "No offense, but I think people are scared of you."

"I don't care." He replied. Truth be told, he was fine with people being scared of him, it means they'll leave him alone and he has no wish to interact with any rumormongering idiot.

"I bet Kamoshida had something to do with all this bullshit. I heard he's been telling students to steer clear of the new 'problem transfer students'. Piece of shit." Ryuji cursed.

"It has to be true," Ren added right after, not a single ounce of doubt in his voice. "Only a teacher could've been capable of leaking something like my record that fast and with no repercussions."

"Damn right, it doesn't matter if it's a student, teacher, or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn't agree with. Just like he did with me." He cursed out. "No one'll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumors about him gettin' physical might be real. And after seein' Kamoshida's distorted-heart thing in person, there's no way I can just sit back!"

"With what we've learned in the castle, there has to be evidence somewhere. We'll find it and we will take him down." He promised.

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji yelled, getting fired up. "I'm countin' on you guys! Don't worry; I'm hyped about this too!"

Ren nodded. Know that Ryuji has his trust and vice versa, he truly believed that they will bring Pink Undies and Kamoshida to justice. He was one step closer to finding the truth about the nasty rumors surrounding that pervert and Ann Takamaki, and he wasn't about to stop now.

...

...

* * *

...

...

As he continued to relay the story to Sae, she stopped him for just a second as she wanted to bring up something that concerned her.

"Acting as a Phantom Thief would've been more efficient alone. You could've gone about it that way. However, you did not. There are merits to having associates. That's what you decided." She stated before leaning forward. "Am I wrong?"

"What can I say." He replied sarcastically. "I'm a people person."

...

...

* * *

...

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **It shall become the wings of rebellion**_

 _ **that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **With the birth of the Chariot Persona, **_

_**I have obtained the blessing that**_ _ **shall lead to freedom and new power.**_

...

 _What was that?_ Ren heard the mysterious voice of what appeared to be a woman's voice but didn't have much to go on other than that.

"You cool, dude?" Ryuji questioned wondering why he was spacing out.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." Ren nodded. Whatever that was, there was no point in getting hung over it.

Just then, the three heard what appeared to be someone's stomach rumbling, indicating hunger. They realized it was coming from Ryuji.

"Oh..." He blushed, embarrassed a little. "Right, I haven't eaten anything since lunch."

"Tell the truth, I'm a bit famished as well," Ren stated, feeling a bit hungry himself.

"It'd be weird splittin' off now, so why don't we grab a bite somewhere? That's put that money we earned to use." Ryuji offered.

"Sure, I could eat." He replied before turning to his fellow transfer student. "What do you say Kazuma?"

"Pass. I'm leaving." He stated, walking away from them and heading back inside the school.

"Hey, hold on!" Ryuji called out. "Cmon man, you can't pass up a free meal. We earned it."

"Look, I'm tired and pissed off." He replied irritatingly to his classmate. "You guys can do whatever you want, but I'm going home." And with that, he left them to their devices, heading back inside the school to collect his book and go home.

"I'll text you later, Kazuma," Ren told him, watching his partner and transfer student just give a small wave as he entered the school.

 _Well, he waved this time. That's something_. He thought.

"Dick," Ryuji muttered before turning to Amamiya. "More for us then. Follow me. It's in Shibuya so let's take the train together. I totally gotta hear about your past."

"Well get comfortable, it's a long one." He replied as he and his new friend departed Shujin Academy grounds and headed wherever Sakamoto believed would be good for sating their appetites.

* * *

Kazuma went back to his locker on the 2nd-floor building to switch out his school shoes for his original ones. He would've gotten them earlier if his loudmouth classmate hadn't dragged him to the front of the school, hoping to convince him to traverse the mysterious castle again.

Once he reached his locker, he put in the correct combination, opened the locker and switched out his shoes. He was about to close it when he overheard two girls whispering behind him. And he uses the term "whispering" loosely because they weren't exactly being secretive about their gossip.

"Look, it's that transfer student in 2-E."

"I heard he's been hanging out with Sakamoto-kun and that criminal."

"What's he thinking, hanging out with those scumbags. Is he like them too?"

"What's happened to our school?"

It was all too familiar, the rumors, the gossip, and the annoyance that comes with it. He slammed his locker shut, causing the girls behind him to jump a little as he looked over his shoulder, glaring harshly at the two who were talking about it. His stare sent shivers down their spines as a wave of fear began to course through their bodies.

"L-Let's go."

"Y-Yeah."

They left and immediately hurried away from him. He gave a sigh, now finally free of those idiots. It's as Ryuji said, people really were scared of him.

"Excuse me, Kazuma-kun?"

Before he could leave, someone had called out to him. He turned around and was met with green eyes, long black hair along with glasses, much like Amamiya's. She wore the uniform for girls, the school blazer and white turtleneck shirt, the school uniform skirt, and black shoes.

Although Kazuma didn't recognize her, she appeared to know him.

"I'm glad I was able to catch you before you left." She said before giving a polite bow. "My name is Emi Matsumoto, I'm your class representative." She greeted but he didn't say anything. Instead, he chose to greet her with a look of disinterest, wanting to leave as soon as possible. "I sit in front of you, in class?" She continued, a little uncomfortable with the silence.

"Hmph." He huffed, walking past her as he headed for the stairs.

"Hey, hold on a sec!" She rushed after him, getting in the way. "Don't ignore me like that. It's rude."

 _That's the point_. He thought.

"I have nothing to say to you. Get lost." He said moving past her again only for her to hold out her arms, preventing him from leaving.

"I'm sorry?" She replied, a little confused by his attitude. "Did I do something to piss you off?"

"Yeah, you're bothering me. Now leave me alone." He demanded.

"Not the friendly type, huh? I can work with that." She stated, not letting his unfriendly and curt attitude affect her. "I wanted to inform you that Ms. Chouno put you on cleaning duty today."

"What?" Great, more annoyances to deal with. Will he ever catch a break?

"Yep. Maybe this will teach you not to skip class anymore." She said, patting him on the shoulder before leaving. "Everything you need is already in 2-E. See you tomorrow."

 _If there is a God, he hates my existence_. He thought dramatically.

Well, he did promise Tori he wouldn't get into any more trouble so there's no way he could ignore this. He decided to tough it out, and head to 2-E for cleaning duty.

 _Now I'm starting to wish I had gone with Amamiya and Sakamoto_. He thought as he entered his classroom to get started.

* * *

"WHAT?!"

"Keep it down, Ryuji." Ren calmly asked, reminding him that they were in a public setting.

Ryuji had led him to Orenobeko, the most popular beef bowl shop in all of Shibuya, probably because it's the only beef bowl shop in Shibuya. But you know what they say, nothing wrong with a free beef bowl, the money they earned in the castle came in handy.

Ren had just finished telling Ryuji about the events that led up to his arrest, the drunk man who sued him, the woman he tried to save, and how his parents reacted.

He was not happy.

"Sorry, just... the eff', man. How much shittier can that asshole get?!" He fired, couldn't believe the crap he just heard.

"I can't even imagine," Ren replied, not really wanting to think about that night anymore.

"So, you left your hometown, and you're livin' here now, huh?" He brought, still stuffing his face with beef.

"That's pretty much the gist of it." The probation said, getting back to his meal.

"We might be more alike than I originally thought." The spiky blonde added.

"I think so too," Ren stated. "Even though Kawakami told me you were bad news, I had a feeling you were a good guy."

"Yeah, just ignore her man. She's annoying but harmless." He smiled, thankful his new friend doesn't believe him to be some mindless delinquent. "You know, you're the first guy that made me think that."

"And you're the first to not believe in the rumors about me. You and me, we're cool." He told him, letting him know he was okay in his book.

"Thanks, man." Ryuji nodded. "I guess it's how we're treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us, like we don't belong."

"Yeah, I feel you." He replied. Ever since his first day of school, the rumors and gossip already informed him that his classmates and fellow students want nothing to do with him. In a way, it was upsetting but he quickly got over it.

"Thing is... I did something stupid at school before, too." He told him before chugging down the last bit of beef he had left, slamming his bowl down to signify that he was finished. "Now, I wanted to ask. Your friend, Kazuma. What's his deal?"

"Him?" Ren raised an eyebrow at the change of subject, especially the subject of his fellow transfer student. "Why do you ask?"

"Don't you think he's a bit weird?" He brought up. "What do you know about him?"

"Not much, really." He began. "I met him two days ago, purely by coincidence. As you know, he's a transfer student like me. He lives close to where I'm staying and he's living with a guardian. I don't know much about his parents but from what I've heard, they're pretty famous."

"Damn. I had no idea." Ryuji replied, a bit stunned at how little he knew about him.

"And as you may have guessed, he's not exactly a people person." Ren brought up his attitude.

"Yeah, no shit." the spiky blonde spat a little. While he had gained a new respect for his classmate, he hasn't forgotten how just how much of a jerk he is. "Guy really pisses me off sometimes."

"He is a bit of a jerk, but he's the honest type. I respect him for that." He stated. While not knowing much about him, he could tell that Kazuma isn't the type of person to tell white lies or treat people with fake kindness or false sympathy. "Even so, he could stand to be a bit nicer."

"Yeah." Ryuji thought for a moment. Even with little knowledge about him, other than his unfriendly attitude, he did agree to help them and has risked his life for them in the castle. "Why do you think he's helping us?"

"Why?" He thought of it for a moment. He had nothing to gain from helping them, even though he's made it clear he doesn't like Kamoshida, why was he helping them? Ren had an idea. "Probably the same reason as me. He saw something unjust and just can't ignore it."

"You think so, huh?" Sakamoto questioned. If that was truly the reason, it makes sense. Ryuji hasn't forgotten that first visit to the castle, the one where his classmate stood up to Kamoshida's shadow and told them if they wanted to kill someone, they should kill him. Maybe Ren's got a point. "Anyway, the place you're livin' now is... Yongen, right? It's rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill time before heading home."

"Sounds good to me," Ren said, thinking it would be a good time to explore Shibuya and get a feel for the place.

"What the hell, man. You barely touched your food." The spiky blonde stated before adding ginger to his bowl

"I can do that myself, thank you very much." The probationer glared.

"Just lemme do it, I gotta thank you for helpin' me." The spiky blonde grinned. "Anyways, I got your back like you got mine from tomorrow on. As long as we do something about Kamoshida, I'm sure we'll both feel better about bein' at school."

"I quite agree." Ren nodded, both determined to bring Kamoshida to justice.

"Oh, yeah!" Ryuji exclaimed, changing the subject. "Tell me your number. Chat ID too."

"Oh, right. We'll need to reach each other." He pulled out his phone to exchange numbers and Chat ID. "I'll give you Kazuma's as well. We'll all open a group chat together for the investigation."

"Think he'll mind?" He asked.

"I'm sure he'll come around." The probation chuckled before giving Ryuji, Kazuma's number and ID.

"Just you wait, Kamoshida." The spiky blonde muttered under his breath, ready to get started. "We're gonna start right away tomorrow. First, let's hit up those guys that were kept as slaves."

"You have a plan?" Ren asked.

"Damn straight. The volleyball rally's tomorrow. Shit's recommended by Kamoshida. Makes me wanna gag." He explained. "But thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon, and we can walk around unnoticed."

"Alright, we have our strategy." The probationer stated.

"We'll work out the details tomorrow," Ryuji said before noticing that Ren has barely put a dent in his meal. "C'mon, you gotta eat more. There's tons of ginger here."

"I think I'm good." Ren chuckled, feeling that he's eaten enough. "Oh, I want to get Kazuma something too."

He decided to order a large barbecue bowl for his fellow transfer student, wondering if he's made it home yet. He decided to shoot him a text just in case.

* * *

 _The people here are sick. Who leaves that much gum under a desk._ Kazuma cursed the group of students who would dare put gum under the desks of his classroom. Thankfully, not much needed to be done so he was able to complete his cleaning very quickly.

Now that he was finished, he could finally leave this wretched school and head home. He could feel his stomach rumbling, he was hungry, tired, and irritated that he had to do something like cleaning duty on the 2nd day of school.

He collected his back, put away the cleaning materials, and left the 2-E classroom. As he headed down the stairs, someone familiar crossed his path.

He appeared worn out and depressed, not even acknowledging Kazuma's existence as he walked by him. His blue-tinted hair, however, was what made him recognizable.

 _That's Amamiya's class rep_. He noted. He remembered coming across his duplicate in the castle, he was the one hanging from a rope while a cannon shot volleyballs in his face. Judging from the bruises on his face, maybe he's dealing with something similar. _Where's he going?_

He saw that he was headed towards the courtyard. Why wasn't he heading home?

He didn't know what it was, but something told him that following after him may give him some answers about Kamoshida.

Deciding to go with his gut, he followed the boy in secret.

* * *

Shiho and Ann sat on the school bench in the courtyard. With practice finally over, they could finally get a chance to hang out for a little while. While they normally would've gone for crepes, the volleyball player wanted some time to cool down.

Ann noticed something off about her best friend, she seemed down and really tired. Just how rough was practice?

"Shiho? You okay?" She asked with concern.

"Y-Yeah." She replied though it wasn't very convincing. "I-I haven't been sleeping well lately.

"Why not?" Ann wondered.

"W-Well, whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things." She explained. It hasn't been a good couple of days for Shiho Suzui. She had way too much on her mind. Volleyball practice was one, Kamoshida has been pushing everyone lately, wanting to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Her leg hasn't fully healed from the injury she received during practice and it was affecting her performance.

But besides volleyball, her mind often wandered to a certain someone. More precisely, the new transfer student in her class.

It's only been his 2nd day and people were already steering clear of him, scared of him for some reason. He seemed to have that frown plastered on his face whenever she looked at him. It was completely different from when she encountered him at the train station and the advice he gave her.

 _If nothing fun or exciting ever happens, then create it using your own power_. She remembered his words. It was when she openly expressed reluctance to anything special happening this year. _You can do it, can't you?_

 _I've tried. I've really tried_. She thought.

"Shiho..." Ann whispered, upset at the depressed state her best friend was in.

"Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking. Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup." She confessed.

"Hey, don't think like that. Just be confident in yourself!" Ann exclaimed, trying to raise her spirits. "Your skills have been recognized! It's all because you work harder than anyone else!"

While she appreciated Ann's attempts to cheer her up, she still couldn't help but feel down.

"Yeah." She simply agreed, not wanting to worry her friend. "Volleyball's all I have, after all."

"More importantly," Ann said, looking towards her leg brace. "Was that injury okay? It looked really swollen."

"N-No. it's nothing. It's normal, especially since a meet's coming up." Shiho explained.

Ann didn't seem convinced. She knew Kamoshida's practices were tough and harsh, but even if Shiho is on the starting lineup, was it safe for her to play with that injury?

Before she could say anything, a familiar face approached them.

"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui. Takamaki-san." Mishima said. "Um... Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you."

"Huh?" Suddenly, confusion and fear coursed through her body. Mr. Kamoshida was calling for her? Why? "What does he want?"

"He didn't say." He finished, looking away from them.

"Ann, I..." She muttered.

"I-It'll be fine!" Takamaki stated. "I bet it's a meeting about the starting lineup or something."

That didn't exactly calm Shiho's nerves but she decided to see the bright side of things and agree with her.

"Yeah." She gave a small smile which dropped as she stood up from her seat and clenched her fist, trying to hold back her fear. "Well, I better go."

"Yep, good luck!" Ann stood up, saying her goodbyes for now.

With that, Shiho left, heading to Mr. Kamoshida's office. Mishima left soon after, carrying his depressed energy and expression with him.

"Hang in there, Shiho," Takamaki whispered as she watched her friend leave.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Kazuma was nearby, having followed Mishima to his destination. He wasn't expecting to see that girl again, nor did he expect the blue-tinted haired boy to deliver her a message, from Kamoshida of all people.

 _What does he want with her?_ Kazuma wondered. He had this wretched feeling in his gut that whatever he wants with that girl, it couldn't be good. Seeing that Mishima went elsewhere, having finished what he was told to do, he changed his directive and followed after Suzui.

Like he told Amamiya over text, he doesn't trust Kamoshida, not in the slightest. Whatever he needed her for, he had no idea. Whatever it was, he was going to find out.

He followed her to the P.E. faculty office, likely where Kamoshida's office was. It was fairly empty, no one appeared to be around, student or faculty. He hid behind a wall as he watched her go round the corner. Once he knew it was clear, he walked over, peeking around the corner to see her knocking on what appeared to be his office. Soon after she opened the door and entered.

Looking around to make sure that no one knew he was there or that he was hiding, he moved from his hiding spot and approached the volleyball coach's office slowly.

He pressed his ear against the door to hear their conversation. He guessed correctly, as he heard what appeared to be yelling coming from inside the office, he knew something was not right here.

"Mr. Kamoshida, I..."

"I don't want to hear your goddamn excuses!" He heard Kamoshida yell, followed by a clattering noise and a gasp from Suzui. He must've kicked a chair in pure anger. "I gave you a pass yesterday but today was unacceptable! You've been slacking off during practice! Are you trying to jeopardize your teammates!"

"N-No, sir." Kazuma heard Shiho say. It was clear she was afraid, he could feel it in her voice. "It's just, m-my leg hasn't healed yet and if I put more strain on it, then..."

"More goddamn excuses! Suzui-san, I've had it up to here with your selfishness!" He angrily replied.

"Sir, I just..."

She was cut off, whatever apology she could offer, was taken from her as a loud, sickening noise intruded Kazuma's ears.

"GAH!" The sickening sound of a fist colliding with one's face was heard from beyond the door, as well as the thud of a body hitting the floor.

 _What the hell?!_ Kazuma placed his hand over his mouth to keep himself from making any noise.

"You listen to me, you little bitch." He heard Kamoshida continue. "Don't you ever speak to me like that again. Your teammates are busting their asses, breaking bones to get to Nationals, while you're here complaining about your leg. Pathetic."

"A-ah." He heard her whimper.

"If I ever hear such shit come out of your mouth again, I'll happily remind you that your position can easily be replaced with another." He finished. "Now get the fuck out of my sight."

While Kazuma wanted answers, this wasn't what he was expecting. This proved that everything they learned in the castle was true. He really was like the King. No, he was worse!

He couldn't even believe his ears, hearing that asshole punch her nearly made him gasp. He couldn't ignore this, not after what he heard.

 _I have to get out of here_. Kazuma thought as he slowly walked away from Kamoshida's office before taking off, running in the direction of the school building. _I have to do something!_

* * *

 **My heart sunk into my chest when I wrote that last part. I love Shiho very much, that's why she's a more major character in this fic and what Kamoshida's putting her through really breaks my heart.**

 **Also, I'm aware that the prisoner who was hanging from the rope, being pummeled by volleyballs, was not Mishima. I just found it weird that he wasn't among the cognitive duplicates in the castle, so I decided to include him.**

 **So now we have Ren and Kazuma both unlocking the Chariot confidant. I would like to hear in the reviews which one you think has the better "I am thou" confidant speech.**

 **Til next time.**


	8. National Winning Fail

**Hey guys. back at it again with another chapter. Once again, this one is a result of a long chapter so it'll be split into two chapters.**

 **And for those wondering, yes, I uploaded this chapter earlier today but deleted it because I wanted to add an additional scene for Kazuma. Everything's good now.**

 **For those who didn't read the update, I made a decision saying that Kazuma will only have one love interest instead of multiple love interests like Ren has. It will be semi-harem for Kazuma where he'll still share some romantic moments with the girls in his confidants, and at the end of the fic, I will post "what if" chapters where he ends up with a different girl. If you've read the update, then you know which love interest I've chosen for Kazuma.**

 **I also would like to point out my new fanart for the fic, drawn by AristoMercu, the writer of _The World is Ours_. Please, go check out their fic, I know I gave them a shoutout in the last chapter, but they were so nice that they wrote fanart for my fic, please go check out their fic, it's really good.**

 **Also, in other news, Shiho finally has her own slot in the search filters which is a win for me because she's heavily involved in this fic, so hip hip hooray!**

 **Let's start with some shoutouts. Only one today, this one goes to Strike Faster Than Starlight for their fic _You'll Stay By My Side Forever_ , which is a fic dedicated to Kiyotaka Ayanokōji and Kei Karuizawa from the anime, manga, and light novel series known as Classroom of the Elite. It's a great anime, you guys need to go check it out and pray for a season 2.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 8th chapter.**

* * *

Kazuma finally made it back to the school building, avoiding detection from both Suzui and Kamoshida. That was too close, there was no telling what would've happened if he was caught listening in on their 'meeting'. And now that he did, he had no idea what to do with the information.

For christ sake, a student was just assaulted on school grounds! If Kamoshida has been doing this to his team on a consistent basis, why the hell isn't anyone saying anything?!

His first instinct was to tell a teacher, but he believed that to be a worthless decision. Any teacher he would tell would probably ask for evidence that such an event occurred or at the very least, they would take this accusation to the Principal, and he didn't trust fatass in the slightest.

Should he tell Amamiya and Sakamoto? That would be the thing to do and there's no doubt that they would believe him. But, all they have is his word. He didn't have any evidence and if Suzui refused to testify, they would have no case. Same with the police, he has no proof, therefore, his word is invalid.

 _What do I do?_ He thought, not having the slightest idea on how to proceed. He thought following after Mishima and Suzui could provide some clues, and it did. Only now, he didn't know what to do with it. He should've done more! Record their meeting, take pictures, just something! Anything!

A vibration from his phone broke his thoughts. It was a text message, probably from Amamiya. He pulled it out to see what he wanted.

 **Ren: Hey Kazuma, have you made it home yet?**

This was his chance, should he tell him?

As he thought it over, he realized that even if he did, it wouldn't have any effect. He had no proof other than his word and even if he did tell him, he would likely tell Sakamoto, and knowing his hatred for Kamoshida, there's no telling what he would do.

And so, he decided against it.

 **Kazuma: I haven't even left the school. My class rep caught me and put me on cleaning duty.**

 **Ren: Oh, crap. It's not much to do, is it?**

 **Kazuma: Just finished a few minutes ago.**

 **Ren: Alright, glad to hear it. I wanted to let you know I ordered you some food at the place me and Ryuji went to.**

 _Such a goody-goody_. He rolled his eyes, not even surprised he would do something like this.

 **Ren: You do like beef bowls, right?**

 **Kazuma: I have no complaints.**

 **Ren: Awesome. Meet me at the train station to Yongen-Jaya, I'll give you your food. Also, I hope you don't mind but I gave Ryuji your contact information. We all need to communicate with each other for the investigation.**

Normally, he would've been annoyed, but his mind was focused on more important things.

 **Kazuma: Alright, whatever.**

 **Ren: See you soon.**

Once the text conversation was over, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around, and it was her.

Suzui.

She was covering up her eye with her left eye with her hand, must've been where Kamoshida had hit her. She walked right by him, not even realizing that he was there. She kept her head down as she headed towards the exit.

With the information that he had learned, there was only one possible scenario that he could take that would benefit him and the others. He'll just have to go up to Suzui and confront her with this knowledge. When Kazuma voiced his doubts that anyone would come forward, he had the advantage. After all, he heard every word that was said during that 'meeting', so she'll have to confess.

Deciding to go with that approach, he walked after her.

"GAH!"

He clutched his head as mysterious pain coursed through his head.

* * *

He stopped his course of action, the pain being too great for him to move. This was the same pain he felt before he awakened to Ulysses, but this time, it was in the real world. As he looked around, he noticed the scenery around him was becoming distorted. What was happening? He didn't use the navigation app. Was he going back to the castle?

Suddenly a flash of light blinded Kazuma, causing him to clutch his eyes with his free hand.

When he removed his hand, his vision had returned only he wasn't in the school any longer.

He was back in the castle.

 _W-What? Why am I here again?!_ He looked around and saw that he was in the entrance hall. He noticed that he wasn't in his sleeveless battle attire nor did he have his mask. He was powerless. What's going on?

He noticed that there were guards all over the place, but for some reason were not paying any attention to him. As he turned around, he saw a guard coming towards him. He raised his fists up in defense but the guard didn't seem to notice his defensive stance. Or rather, he didn't notice him at all. In fact, what was most shocking is, the guard walked right through him.

 _Huh?_ He turned back around to see the guard that had passed right through him to continue on, walking away from him as if he wasn't even there. _What was that? What's happening to me?_

He pulled out his phone and saw that he had bars, unlike his last trip into the castle, when Ryuji asked him and Amamiya to check their camera apps, he noticed he didn't have cell reception. But this time, he did.

But what was most shocking about all of this was that, when his screen saver died down, Kazuma saw his reflection on his phone. He looked at his eyes were of a different color, his dark blue iris' were replaced with that of a bloody red color.

"Guards! Increase security immediately!" A voice he knew broke through. He turned around and saw him. King Kamoshida, giving out orders to his minions. "If those damn thieves return, I want them dead! You hear me! You will bring me their heads!"

Just like the guards, he didn't seem to notice that Kazuma was there. Which means.

 _I'm not really in the castle_. He believed. I'm just seeing what's happening in the castle from the real world. _That means I'm..._

"You will execute them on sight! You will-"

"Kazuma-san!"

 _Huh?_ Just then, a flash blinded Kazuma's eyesight once more.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in Shujin Academy. The pain he felt before was gone and everything appeared to be back to normal.

Well, somewhat normal.

As he looked up, he saw that King Kamoshida was no longer in front of him, but instead, the real one, who had called out to him

"Mr. Kamoshida?" It was definitely the real one standing in front of him. Why was he here?

"You okay, kid? You looked like you were spacing out." The volleyball coach explained.

"Oh, uh..." Kazuma didn't know what to say, he didn't expect this man to actually come up and talk with him. He believed that, after his scuffle with his shadow-self, that this man disliked him, Amamiya, and Sakamoto. Plus, he was still reeling from what had happened.

"Wait, let me guess. Ms. Chouno put you on cleaning duty?" He chuckled a little. "Ah, that woman. I think it was her way of punishing you for being late the first day."

"R-Right." He muttered. He could feel himself fighting the urge to glare at this man. It was as if he had completely forgotten what he did! The bastard! "Well, I should-"

"Mind if we talk for a minute? I feel like we got off on the wrong foot when we first met." Kamoshida offered.

 _What is he planning?_ Kazuma frowned a little. This had to be a trick, what does he want with him? _Wait, does he know I was listening in on his "meeting"?!_

"It won't take long. Come, walk with me." The coach offered. While he could just walk away and ignore him, he didn't want the man to catch on what he's found out about him. He walked alongside Mr. Kamoshida, taking a small walk through the hallway. "Have you been enjoying your time here?"

"Y-Yes sir." He replied, it was a lie, he hated this school, but he chose to play along. "It's a great school."

"I'm glad to hear it." Kamoshida smiled. "Tell me, Kazuma-san. Do you play sports?"

"Well, I've..." He stuttered a bit, wondering where he was going with this questioning. Yes, he's played sports before but what does he want to know? "I've played before, yes."

"Ah! That's good to hear." He then gave of this grin that made Kazuma very uncomfortable. More uncomfortable when he placed his hand on his shoulder. "You know, I'm always open to new members for the volleyball team. Interested?"

 _He's asking me to join the team?_ Kazuma thought, skeptical as to what his game was.

"You would allow me to join?" He asked.

"Well, you'd have to try out, but if you're capable, you would most certainly be welcomed." Mr. Kamoshida explained. "We're actually holding a rally tomorrow. You're more than happy to participate. And if you make it, I'll even do you a favor?"

A favor? He didn't like the sound of that.

"That terrible attendance record of yours from your last school. I'll make it a clean slate as if it never existed. I can do that, you know." The coach offered. "What do you say?

Was this man for real? Was he actually offering him a spot on his volleyball team? But more than that, was he actually offering to erase his bad attendance record and start from scratch.

No, that can't be it. This had to be some sort of trick. There is no way he would let him on the team with friendly and open arms, this had to be some sort of plan. What was he planning?

"I'll..." He wanted to flat out reject him, tell him off for even asking him to join his stupid team. However, he had to play along. "I'll consider it, sir."

"I'm certain you'll come around." Kamoshida removed his hand from the boy's shoulder and gave him a smile. "Well, the school's closing so, you'd best head on home. Hope to see you at the rally tomorrow. Have a good rest of your day." And with that, he left the boy to his devices.

He watched a Kamoshida left and once he was out of earshot, Kazuma didn't have to play along any longer. He glared at the direction where the coach took his exit, clenched his fist from the rage he felt, and cursed him as if he was still there.

"Go to hell, you narcissistic, egotistical, piece of crap. Join your team? Don't make me laugh. As if I would ever join your stupid volleyball team, you filthy jackhole!" He spewed out insults, letting out how he truly felt. Feeling truly and utterly disgusted for having to spare an ounce of his attention for that scumbag, he decided to leave this dump of a school, making his way towards the exit. "I will bury you, Kamoshida."

He made his promise as he left the school. While what happened earlier was still on his mind, he put it off for now. It was probably a side effect of being a Persona-User, he believed. Nothing to be concerned about right now.

He wasn't sure if Kamoshida's offer was a trick, but it's clear that he's got his eye on him. And if that is true, it's only a matter of time before he locks onto Amamiya.

 _I know what I have to do_. Kazuma thought as he walked down the steps of the school, heading to the train station. _I have to talk to that girl._

To Suzui.

For the first time, since their encounter at the train station, while he believed avoiding her would be the best course of action for both of them, he had no choice.

To take down King Kamoshida, he would finally have to talk to her face-to-face.

* * *

After Ryuji went on home, Ren took it upon himself to venture around Shibuya in order to get a feel for the area. After all, it'd be embarrassing to always get lost, he can't rely on Kazuma to be his guide forever. As he walked around Central Street, he took note of all the hottest spots and establishments Shibuya had to offer. The most notable places to eat at were Big Bang Burger, Orenobeko, and a diner that offers a variety of interesting meals. For entertainment, there's a Gigolo arcade center, Toyo Cinemas movie theater, and Sing Sing Karaoke where people can sing their hearts out. There's also a video rental shop, a hotel called the Wilton Hotel, and even a gym called Protein Lovers that doesn't offer membership, but rather a ¥2,000 fee per visit.

Once he felt comfortable with the area, he made his way to Station Square. He had not so fond memories of this place, it being extremely crowded when he first arrived in Tokyo, as well as receiving the navigation app and having time around him stop momentarily. He walked to the Underground Walkway which had its own fruit stand that sold smoothies as well as magazine racks that offered part-time jobs. It's definitely something to take note of in the future, after all, Sojiro may feed him but asking for an allowance has to be out of the question.

He then went to check out the Underground Mall which offered a variety of stores and shops for people to spend their hard-earned cash, clothing stores, jewelry stores, florists, you name it.

 _I think I know where everything is now. Time to head to the station_. Ren thought as he ended his adventure through Shibuya and left for the train station.

When he arrived he noticed that Kazuma hadn't arrived yet. As he waited, he thought over his talk with Ryuji and their opinions on the boy. It really goes to show just how little they knew about him or just what kind of person he really is. On one hand, he's rude, curt, unfriendly, glares at people that annoy him, and just overall hates everything at Shujin Academy, the school, and its students. To be frank, he couldn't really blame him with the number of rumormongers and gossip hounds that litter the place, it's no wonder he holds such disdain for the school.

Then there's the other part that confuses him, with how he acts he's nearly risked his life for them, first when he awakened to his Persona, then earlier today when he protected Ryuji from those Bicorns, even motivating him to stand up to Kamoshida, despite his harsh words.

Then there's the matter of his family, sure he's a transfer student, but he's living with a guardian instead of his parents. Who were they? From what he heard, they were "highly acclaimed individuals" according to the Principal. Meaning that, whoever they were, they must be pretty important, maybe even famous.

Just who is Kei Kazuma?

 _Living the way he does, I wonder if he's lonely_. Ren wondered. He felt that way sometimes. Even though back at his old school, he often stayed after late so he could get out of the house, he missed his Mother and Father. They haven't contacted him since he left and wondered if they were okay. His neighborhood wasn't that big so when he was arrested, it was a huge deal. Maybe they were just waiting for the drama to die down? That's a possibility.

Either way, it doesn't matter right now. He had more important things to worry about.

"What are you brooding about?"

"Huh?" His thoughts were cut off as Kazuma entered the picture, having approached him only to find him in deep thought. "Oh, hey Kazuma. Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Whatever." He looked away, waiting for the train.

"Oh, here's your food." Ren offered him the bag containing his meal. "It's a large barbecue bowl. I hope that's alright."

He looked at the bag, the aroma of beef and barbecue emitting from it was enticing. He took the bag from the probationer and refocused his attention elsewhere. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He replied.

Once the train arrived, the two boarded the train bound for Yongen-Jaya. When they arrived, the two walked until they stopped at the street that led to Cafe Leblanc. Once they arrived, Ren stopped to part way with his partner.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kazuma. Let's do our best." He bowed before taking his leave.

"Amamiya." He called out, stopping the probationer in his tracks. He turned around, wondering why Kazuma called out to him. "Kamoshida spoke to me before I left school."

That immediately got his attention. "What?"

"He came up to me when I tried to leave." He continued.

This immediately caused Ren to worry. Was Morgana wrong? Did their encounter with Kamoshida's shadow affect the real one? And more importantly, what did he want with Kazuma? He walked back over to his fellow transfer student to get answers, not only find out what the man wanted but also to protect his new partner-in-crime.

"What did he want?" Ren asked.

"He..." Kazuma wanted to tell him the whole truth, but he knew he couldn't. He had his plan and he couldn't involve Amamiya in it and especially not Sakamoto. All he could do was tell him half of the story. "He asked me to try out for the Volleyball team."

Okay, that DEFINITELY set off some red alarms. After all the times he eavesdropped on Kamoshida talking bad about Shujin's new 'problem transfer students' there's no way in hell that he would want Kazuma on his team. This was definitely a trick and if what he heard from the principal regarding his Kazuma's parents was correct, then he had a gut feeling as to why Kamoshida would offer him a spot on his volleyball team.

"I don't know what his game is, but it has to be a trick." Kazuma believed.

"It is," Ren added. His certainty caused his partner to cross his arms and raise an eyebrow.

"You seem certain?" He pointed out.

"Because I am." The probation explained. "It was after classes had ended on our first day. I overheard Kamoshida and the Principal talking about us."

"Did he now?" Kazuma questioned with an annoyed roll of his eyes. "Let me guess, he complained about us being at the school."

"Pretty much, but it's more than that." Ren continued. "They were talking about your parents."

"What?" The mention of his family caused him to unfold his arms and look at his fellow transfer student with a large frown, one that abandoned his initial annoyance and now embodied anger. "What did they say?" He demanded.

"The Principal said that they were, and I quote 'Tokyo's most influential and widely acclaimed individuals' or something like that." He quoted Kobayakawa's words. "Kamoshida's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when he heard that. Almost like an idea popped into his head."

"So that's why? The bastard wants to mooch off my family's rep." He angrily deduced, having finally uncovered his plan. "Sakamoto was right about him, he really has no shame in anything he does."

"Yeah, no kidding." Ren put his hands in his pockets before continuing. "Who knows how many people will suffer if we don't stop him. We have to do something."

 _For Takamaki's sake too_. He thought of his blonde classmate and wondered what her tie is to Kamoshida.

"Hmph, whatever you say, Amamiya," Kazuma said as he took his leave. "Thanks for the food."

"Wait." Ren reached out and grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving. "I'm not finished talking to you yet."

"Now what?" He replied annoyingly to Amamiya's persistence.

"It's about your family, Kazuma. You told me you're living with a guardian but, what about your parents?" He brought up. His fellow transfer student kept his eyes away so he couldn't tell what Kazuma was thinking or feeling at the moment. "You know so much about me and Ryuji, but we know next to nothing about you. Just who are you Kei Kazuma?"

He didn't answer, he just kept silent and still for a few seconds. The moment Ren brought up his parents, memories of the worst day of his life flashed through his head. It was instant but the pain lingered.

Watching his world being crushed in front of him, remembering the disgusting taste of copper that stained his face that day.

In that moment Kazuma roughly pulled his arm away, escaping Amamiya's grasp.

"Kazuma?" He questioned worriedly.

"You listen to me and listen well, Ren Amamiya." He spoke in a low, harsh, and cold tone. "I'm a man of my word, so I will help you and Sakamoto take down Kamoshida. But..." He looked over his shoulder, glaring at his fellow transfer student. "...don't you dare pry into my life."

With that, he left, heading back to his residence. As he walked away, Ren contemplated his warning and thought that Kazuma was being a bit of a hypocrite. He called out Ryuji for not being totally honest with him and yet he himself refuses to shed any info about himself. Even so, he didn't want to give up. After all, that's not who he is. He wanted to know more about his fellow transfer student, his likes, and dislikes, what makes him tick his hobbies. But more than that, he truly does want to be his friend, because even though Kazuma was a jerk sometimes, there was one thing they both had in common.

 _He's like me before I met him and Ryuji. He's... lonely_. He believed, promising to redouble his efforts at befriending him as he walked away, heading to Leblanc.

* * *

Kazuma entered Beauty Heights, ready to eat his dinner and just relax. Today had been a stressful day, from having to enter the castle again, to eavesdropping on Kamoshida assaulting Suzui, and now Amamiya wanting to know more about him.

 _Who does that guy think he is?_ This wasn't a give and take relationship. In fact, there was no relationship or friendship whatsoever. It was a simple partnership nothing more. Why does he care so much? Why does he want to get to know him so badly?

He was annoying, that much is true. But... But now that he thinks about, he can say for sure that out of all the idiots at that school, Amamiya was nothing like any of them. Even though the guy has a criminal record, he doesn't let that or the rumors about him stop him from being himself.

He was annoying, but Kazuma respected him greatly. After all, if he didn't respect him, he wouldn't be dealing with him.

Sakamoto, on the other hand, was another story. The guy was ten times as annoying as Amamiya, a complete loudmouth who really doesn't know how to shut up, and the kind of guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves. But, just like Amamiya, he was different, so he did have some respect for him.

 _I suppose affiliating with those two isn't the worst thing ever_. He admitted as he entered his apartment building.

Tori sat at her desk, reading one of her books. She looked up and saw that he had returned home, greeting him with a smile.

"You're awfully late, Kazzy-kun." She remarked.

"My class rep put me on cleaning duty at the last second." He told her.

"Ah, that's why. Anyway, did you have a great day at school?" She asked.

"Something like that." Kazuma lied. Today was anything but great.

"Well, I'm glad that..." She stopped as she noticed the bag he was carrying. "Did you go to Orenobeko for dinner?"

"Huh?" He replied before realizing that she was talking about the bag carrying his beef bowl. "A... classmate bought it for me. He thought I might be hungry after cleaning duty."

"A classmate huh?" She simply questioned before returning to her book. "Wait, a classmate!" As she repeated the word, she shot out of her desk, shutting her book close.

 _Oh no_. Kazuma braced for impact.

Tori instantly jumped over her desk, sprinting up to Kazuma, her hands clasped together as she had stars in her eyes and a large smile on her face.

"A classmate bought you dinner! Who is he?! Or is it a she?! Have you made some friends?! OhmygodmylittleKazzy-kunismakingfriends! I'M SO HAPPY!" She cheered.

 _What happened to your unnecessary noise rule, Tori?_ Kazuma complained as his guardian made a huge deal out of this.

"This is so exciting! I have to meet them! I must!" She demanded.

"Sure. One day, Tori." He said just so she would calm down.

"Aww." She then wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. "I'm proud of you."

Kazuma felt touched by those words. As weird as she was, Tori always had a heart of gold. While he respected Amamiya and Sakamoto, the word respect wouldn't even begin to describe what he felt for his former nanny turned guardian.

Which is why he couldn't let her get too close. Especially now.

"Thanks." He said as she released him. "I'm heading up."

"Alright. Be sure to lock up, Okay?" She reminded him. He gave her a simple nod as he left.

As he walked up the stairs, he someone exit the apartment across from him. He recognized him as the Detective that left to go to work three days ago, he and Tori appeared to be on friendly terms. As it turned out, they were neighbors.

Kazuma simply chose to ignore him, he wasn't important at the moment. He walked up to his apartment and fished out his key.

"Oh, hello." The man chose to greet him. "You must be my new neighbor."

He turned around and saw the man trying to greet him. He appeared friendly as he held out his hand.

"I'm Masu Okabe. It's nice to meet you." He introduced, holding his hand out for a handshake.

Normally, he would've just brushed him off, but since this man was his neighbor and a resident in Tori's apartment building, she would never let him hear the end of it if he was rude to one of her residents. He simply decided to greet him, hoping an introduction would send him away.

"Kei Kazuma." He shook the man's hand.

"Kazuma?" He questioned as the name sounded familiar. "Wait. Would you happen to be related to Atsuro and Yuko Kazuma? The Best Detectives in Tokyo?"

 _Not now_. He looked away, not wanting to deal with this, especially with a complete stranger.

"Not anymore." He finished.

"Oh, right. My apologies." Okabe bowed apologetically, remembering that they were deceased. "Your parents were heroes to me. Me and my wife often watched them on interview talk shows. They were truly an inspiration."

"Thank you," Kazuma said. It was nice to know that some people haven't forgotten his family. "You're a Detective too?"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Okabe pulled out what appeared to be his badge and showed it to him. "Detective Masu Okabe, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."

A Detective is living next door to him? Well, he seems reliable enough.

"Anyway, I was on my way out. I hope to see you around, Kazuma-san. It was nice meeting you." He bowed before taking his leave.

 _Detective Masu Okabe, huh? Never heard of him_. Kazuma thought. He doesn't seem to be a rookie so he's probably worked as a Detective for quite some time and since he knew his parents, it's possible he's been a Detective around the time they were alive.

If Tori's friends with him, then he must be trustworthy.

Pushing aside his meeting with the Detective. He entered the apartment and sat at the dinner table to eat the beef bowl Amamiya bought for him.

 _Barbecue, huh? Well, I'm not complaining_. He had no reason too. He liked barbecue beef.

Once he finished, he placed everything in the trash before heading to his room to rest and relax, putting in his earphones, listening to music.

But, no matter how hard he tried to put the day behind him, he couldn't. The thoughts on what happened earlier still weighed heavily on his mind.

 ** _You listen to me, you little bitch_**. He winced a little as remembered the words he used to verbally assault Suzui, adding insult to injury after he physically attacked her. _**If I ever hear such shit come out of your mouth again, I'll happily remind you that your position can easily be replaced with another**._

"She didn't deserve that." Kazuma argued. It's one thing to chastise someone for their performance during Volleyball practice but to hit someone because of it is another thing. He knew what he had to do. He had to confront Suzui with what he learned. If he was to stop Kamoshida and protect her, he would have to talk to her.

...

Wait? Protect her?

Is that the reason he was going through with this plan? To protect some girl he doesn't know? Some girl he came across at the train station who ironically is his classmate? This girl was nothing more than a stranger to him.

 _Why?_ He thought it over as conflicted with the reason he wanted to talk to her. _She has nothing to do with me. If anything she's better off not talking to me. So... why am I worried about her?_

Before he could think about it some more, he felt his phone vibrate, likely another text from Amamiya. He pulled it out and groaned. It wasn't Amamiya.

It was much worse.

 **Ryuji: Hey man, hope you don't mind, Ren gave me your number and chat ID.**

 **Ryuji: Are you getting this?**

 **Ryuji: Dude?**

 **Ryuji: Hello?!**

 **Ryuji: Earth to Kazuma!**

"My life sucks."

* * *

He opened the door and entered only to find Sojiro sitting near the door reading a newspaper. The moment he heard the doorbell, he looked up to see his ward had arrived.

"Oh, you're back." The cafe owner greeted. "I take it you actually went to school today?"

"Yep. Pretty standard day, really." Ren replied.

"Well, as long as you're not getting into any trouble, it's fine by me." He added. "Look, I don't know what you've been up to, but trust me, you'll be gone if you start causing problems."

 _Ah, here it is ladies and gentlemen. My Sojiro Sakura threat of the day_. He quipped in his head.

"In case you forget, your life is not a free one right now." He continued.

Before he could reply, he felt his phone ring, notifying him that a message has been received. He pulled it out and saw that Ryuji had texted him.

 **Ryuji: Hey I decided to go ahead and message you. Can you see this?**

 **Ren: Nope. I can't see a thing.**

 **Ryuji: Don't lie! You SO can.**

Ren chuckled a bit, unable to help himself.

 **Ryuji: I tried messaging Kazuma earlier but he didn't reply. You sure you gave me the right number?**

 **Ren: I did. I think he's just ignoring you.**

 **Ryuji: Seriously? What a dick. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'm gonna be counting on you tomorrow, OK?**

 **Ren: Oh? What about?**

 **Ryuji: Cmon, dude. Don't play dumb.**

 **Ren: Sorry, couldn't help it XD.**

 **Ryuji: Uh huh. Look, we've come this far, so you gotta stick with me to the end.**

 **Ren: Don't worry, buddy. I'm with you til death do us part.**

 **Ryuji: Uh, I'm not sure that's how you use that phrase, bro. Anyway, let's just save those guys who've been getting abused.**

 **Ren: Got it. See you tomorrow.**

Once he put his phone away, he returned his attention back to Sojiro who appeared annoyed as he felt like his ward was ignoring his warnings.

"Sheesh, are you even listening to me?" He complained.

"Don't cause trouble or my ass is out. Loud and clear, sir!" Ren gave a mock salute to his guardian.

Sojiro simply rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "Just stay away from bad influences, OK?"

Ren returned to normal, giving a short nod as he decided to turn in for the day, walking past the cafe owner to head up to his room.

"Hey, I'm gonna head home for the night." The older man said as he placed his newspaper on the bar. "I'll lock the store up. Don't go wandering out."

With one final nod, he walked up the stairs and into his room. He wrote down what happened today in his journal, minus the trip to the castle, and went to change into his Pijamas.

As he sat down on the bed, he heard his phone ring again. It appears that Ryuji wasn't done with him yet. He pulled out his phone and saw that it wasn't just Ryuji, but rather a group chat set up by Ryuji.

 **Ryuji: Alright guys, I got the group chat set up. Can you guys see this?**

 **Ren: Loud and clear, Cap'n.**

 **Ryuji: Pirate jokes, dude? Really?**

 **Ren: I just had to get one in.**

 **Ryuji: What about you, Kazuma? You gettin' this?**

No reply came from the other transfer student. At this point, Ren couldn't tell if he was busy or outright ignoring them.

 **Ryuji: Dude, stop ignoring me! Answer the damn the message!**

 **Kazuma: Why did you give this moron my number, Amamiya? He's been spamming me with texts non-stop.**

 **Ryuji: So you were getting my messages, you asshole!**

 **Ren: Well, seems like the group chat is all set up. Good work, Ryuji.**

Ren went and changed the subject, wanting to get back on track.

 **Ryuji: No problem. Listen, you guys had that red eyeball thingy on your phones, right?**

 **Kazuma: The navigation app?**

 **Ryuji: Yeah, that's the one. I found it on my phone too.**

Igor must've installed it on his phone, now that Ryuji's a Persona-User. Ren thought it over as he learned of his friend acquiring the navigation app.

 **Ryuji: I don't even remember installing it!**

 **Ren: Join the club.**

 **Ryuji: For real. What is this thing? You think it's being downloaded on its own somehow?**

 **Kazuma: Amamiya thinks it has something to do with our Personas.**

 **Ryuji: Oh! That makes sense. I think.**

 **Kazuma: You think?**

 **Ryuji: Shaddup!**

 **Ryuji: With this app, we can go back to the castle, right?**

 **Ren: Seems like it.**

 **Ryuji: Basically, it's gonna depend on how we use it. But first, we gotta find evidence for the beatings. I'm counting on you guys, all right? Don't go ditching school on me.**

 **Ren: He's talking to you Kazuma.**

 **Kazuma: Shut up Amamiya.**

 **Ren: Sorry, couldn't help it. Goodnight you two.**

Once the conversation was over, he put in the alarm and went to sleep. As he slept, he wondered if he would end up in that velvet room again. He wouldn't right? He's already been there two times in a row.

* * *

And it appears three times the charm.

Ren woke up to find himself back in his prison cell. He looked over at his cell door to find the twin wardens standing on either side as Igor sat patiently at his desk. He decided the best thing to do is to get this over with. He got up and walked over to the cell, clutching the bars.

"Welcome to the velvet room." Igor greeted. "I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you."

"That's fine. I have questions for you." Ren replied only to have Caroline slam the cell bars with her baton.

"Our Master is speaking! Be silent, inmate!" She hissed.

"Tell me, what are your thoughts. Are you becoming accustomed to this place?" He asked.

"You could say that. Coming here three times in a row, it's almost like second nature by now." Ren said.

"Ah, glad to hear it. It seems you have nerves of steel." Igor commented before continuing. "Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today, you and the Outsider have entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven't you?"

"You're referring to Ryuji?" He asked.

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well." He complimented. "That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith lend you their strength."

"So, strong friendships?" The inmate questioned.

"In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong." The long-nosed man continued. "The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well."

"I see," Ren said as he thought it over. He was likely referring to that strange voice he heard when he agreed to help Ryuji take down Kamoshida. It must've symbolized their partnership, or bond, as Igor put it.

"Personas are the strength of heart," Justine explained. "The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more powerful your Personas will become."

"There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't." Caroline brought up. "You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power."

"Indeed." Igor nodded in agreement with the wardens. "You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition."

"Well..." All of this was making his brain hurt. Becoming stronger by forming powerful bonds? Sounds like something out of a crappy anime. Then again, if it helps strengthen Arsene and himself, he'll take it. "I'll do my best."

Igor simply chuckled. "We have a deal then."

...

 ** _I am thou, thou art I._**

 ** _Thou hast acquired a new vow._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _It shall become the wings of rebellion_**

 ** _that breaketh thy chains of captivity._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _With the birth of the Fool Persona,_**

 ** _I have obtained the blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power._**

...

 _There it is again_. Ren heard the voice again, detailing his partnership with Igor. He was beginning to understand it a little. From here on out, he'll just have to do his best with the people he meets. _All right_.

"You will understand it all in due time. Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation." Igor finished.

"Now, this conversation's over! Get lost, inmate!" Caroline shooed away.

"Until next time, ladies." He gave a mocking bow, returning to his slumber in hopes that he will awaken in the real world.

* * *

 **4/13 - Wednesday**

Ren and Kazuma walked to school together as they normally did. They didn't exchange any words, Ren didn't think he'd want to talk after what happened between them the other day. Even though there was silence, he didn't object to walking to school together, a sign that he wasn't mad at him.

On their way, they overheard two dissatisfied first-years talking amongst themselves, discussing the volleyball rally that would take place today.

"How annoying. We've barely started high school, and already they're making us play at a volleyball rally? And why are they pitting us against the teacher team? Kamoshida's gonna crush us."

"But we get to see his technique live and in person, though. We should totally get spiked on!" His friend replied.

"Yeah, OK. You're gonna get your face smashed in. Just look at how banged up the volleyball team is. What the hell goes on during their practices?"

 _If only you idiots knew just how much "practice" is actually involved_. Kazuma sneered in disgust at their ignorance.

"You alright?" He heard Ren ask.

"I'm fine." He looked away.

"Hey, listen. About the other day..." He brought up. "I wasn't trying to be nosy, or anything. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Keep your apologies, Amamiya." Kazuma fired back. "I'm not mad at you, so just forget about it."

"Well, if you say so." Ren simply said. "Let's do our best today. If there's dirt on Kamoshida, we'll find it."

"Yeah." He said as they arrived at the school.

Once they went their separate ways, Kazuma head to 2-E, entered the classroom and sat in his seat. He looked out the window as he thought over his own plan to get dirt on Kamoshida.

First things first, he'll need to confront that girl, Suzui, with his knowledge of her little "meeting" with Kamoshida. He'll have to get her alone, maybe after school?

No wait, she's a member of the volleyball team, she'll have practice after school.

It's not like he can stay after for no reason. Students and teachers may get suspicious. If only he had a reason to stay after.

As he thought over his plan, he felt someone touching his arms.

"Huh?" He shot up as the physical contact he was feeling earlier disappeared only to feel it again in his pockets. He looked to the side to see his class representative not only invading his privacy but also his pockets. "What are you doing to me?"

"Huh?" Emi looked up and saw that she got caught. She immediately stood up, holding her hands up with an innocent smile on her face. "Ah, you caught me! Sorry Kazuma-kun, I was just checking out a lead."

"Lead?" He questioned.

"Yep. Rumor has Amamiya-kun carries a knife. Since I've seen you and Sakamoto-kun hanging around him, I was checking to see if you were carrying it for him." She then pulled out her notebook and checked something off. "Rumor: False."

 _What an idiot_. He rolled his eyes, looking away from his class rep. He had more important things to do than deal with her.

"So..." She then sat in her seat and just like she said the other day, it happened to be the seat in front of him. "Hope cleaning duty wasn't too bad. Ms. Chouno often uses it as punishment whenever a student acts out. You should've seen her last year. Utterly ruthless."

He didn't reply, he just continued to ignore her. He closed his eyes, hoping to get a small snooze before class starts. Unfortunately, it was cut short as he felt a hand smack his desk, causing him to shoot up instantly.

"Hey! Why are you ignoring me again?!" She pouted a little before realizing why he's giving her the cold shoulder. "Did I come off as bitchy the other day? I wasn't trying to be."

"Do you always talk this much?" He decided to give her a reply.

"What can I say, I'm a talker, especially to the new kids." She teased a little.

He growled a little, knowing this girl was probably going to talk his ear off until class starts. He figured if he ignored her, she'd get the message, but that didn't appear to be working.

...Then again, maybe he shouldn't ignore her. Not yet anyway.

She was the one who gave him cleaning duty the other day, and thanks to the time spent cleaning up this godforsaken classroom, he was able to catch Amamiya's class rep deliver a message to Shiho, who had probably just gotten off practice.

This was his chance. If he was going to confront her, this may be the only way.

"It's, Matsumoto, right?" He questioned.

"Yep, but you can call me Emi if you want." She replied.

"I was wondering. Could you have Chouno put me on cleaning duty again?" Kazuma asked which greatly confused her as to why he would want to do cleaning duty a second time.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

"Well, I..." He muttered as he fished for an excuse. "I'm in no hurry to go home today."

"Hmm." She thought it over, thinking as to whether his excuse was genuine before replying. "Well, if you're offering, who am I to stop you? I'll tell Chouno after class."

"Cool." He said as he heard someone else enter the classroom.

"Oh! Thank god I made it on time." Ryuji rushed into the class as he walked over to his desk. "Hey, dude." He greeted before noticing him talking with his class rep. "Matsumoto-san?"

"Ah, Sakamoto-kun. Glad you decided to show up, and on time." She said, crossing her arms.

"Y-Yeah." He scratched his head a little. Once he sat down, he whispered over to Kazuma. "You ready, dude? Let's do our best today."

"Whatever." He replied, turning back to gazing out the window.

More students entered the classroom, each taking their seats as they waited for Ms. Chouno to arrive and start class. Breaking his gaze from the window, he looked past Ryuji to see if she was here. He looked and there she was.

Suzui.

He tried to hold back his gasp as he looked at her face etched in sorrow and pain that came with what appeared to be a fully-formed bruise on her left eye.

 _Goddamn it_! He cursed. He didn't know a bruise would form so soon, and now, everyone's going to be asking about it, should they notice.

Soon after, Ms. Chouno entered the classroom, ready to begin the lecture for the day.

"Good morning class. Please, listen up." She got everyone's attention. "As you all know, today is the volleyball rally. Once class is over, head to the gymnasium once you've changed. Got it?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw as Suzui suppressed a small whine, clearly not wanting to attend the rally.

 _Alright_. Kazuma clenched his fist. _Let's do this._

* * *

The three watched as the volleyball team held their so-called "rally". If anything, it was more like an ego trip because every now and then, Kamoshida would use that spike of his to completely dominate the other side. The one who seems to be getting it worse is Mishima, Ren's class rep, who strangely enough seems to be on the receiving on of Kamoshida's volleyball spike.

 _So that's why his duplicate was being pummeled by volleyballs_. Ren deduced after watching the last few rounds of Mishima get hit in the face. The boy didn't even seem to be trying.

"Man, you've still got it, Coach!" One of the teacher's on Kamoshida's team cheered for their win.

"Thanks. Let's go for one more!" The coach said, ready for another round.

Ren sat next to Ryuji, donned in the P.E. uniform meant for boys, wearing the red tracksuit over it. He looked over to see Ryuji not wearing his tracksuit and his shirt's sleeves folded up. Kazuma refused to wear the suit as well, only he wore the shirt normally.

He noticed that Ryuji wasn't focused on the game, but rather, on someone. He looked over and saw Takamaki, fiddling with her pigtails, clearly not interested in the game. She was seated next to a girl with dark black hair in a ponytail tied with a pink hairband. She looked down, upset about something, but noticed the bruise on her left eye. Judging from the leg-brace on her leg, this must be "Suzui" that Ryuji spoke of during their last trip to the castle.

"Those two, thick as thieves. Hasn't changed a bit." Ryuji commented.

"Huh?" Ren wondered what he meant by that.

The spiky blonde didn't answer but let out a loud yawn, uninterested in the game. "Pretty boring. Right?"

Ren simply chuckled while Kazuma kept his focus on the game.

He just knew that soon, Kamoshida would call him out, challenge him in an attempt to introduce him to the volleyball team. Even if he did horrible, he was sure the man would find some loophole to put him on the team, if only to mooch off his parent's reputation. As if he would ever allow that.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Suzui seated next to that blonde girl, Takamaki. She kept her head down the entire time, not really focused on the match. Just then, she looked over to his direction, causing him to look back towards the game so she wouldn't notice.

* * *

Shiho looked over to the left to see her newest classmate, Kazuma seated next to Ryuji. On the other side of the spiky blonde, was likely the rumored transfer student who was in 2-D, just like Ann.

"They seem close." She noted.

"Huh?" Ann questioned before looking over to where she was staring to find her classmate, seated with Sakamoto and the transfer student in Shiho's class.

 _I wonder if Amamiya-kun is getting along with Sakamoto_. They've been hanging out a lot lately. She thought, looking over to Shiho's new classmate sitting next to the spiky blonde. _Not sure about him, though._

The students cheering grew louder as they watched Kamoshida swoop in and claim victory once again, performing his signature spike which aimed directly for, you guessed it...

* * *

...Poor Mishima's face.

The three winced a little as the boy took the full force of the volleyball, knocking him unconscious and hitting the ground hard.

 _That was on purpose!_ Ren thought as he watched Kamoshida rush to the boy's aid.

"Oh, crap! Sorry!" The coach rushed over to Mishima. "Hey, are you all right?!" He asked but got no response. "Someone! Take him to the nurse's office!"

One of his teammates went over to the fallen boy, lifted him up, bringing his arm around his shoulders, and helped him to the nurse.

His apology was worth nothing in the eyes of the three delinquents who saw that for what it really was. Ryuji gripped the volleyball next to his leg and threw it.

"He'll pay soon enough." The spiky blonde proclaimed.

"All right, let's resume the match!" Kamoshida exclaimed, wanting to move on. "Would anyone like to participate?!"

 _There he goes_. Kazuma thought. This was it. The coach was enacting his plan.

Ren had noticed too. He would likely target Kazuma soon if no one speaks up. But, he wasn't going to let that happen. It was time to give Kamoshida a taste of his own medicine and put that narcissist's ego to shame.

"Let's have some fun," Ren said as he stood up.

"Huh?" Ryuji looked as his friend left their spot and walked onto the court. Kazuma noticed too, watching as Amamiya raised his hand high before walking any further.

"Mind if I tag in?!" Ren called out, getting everybody's attention.

Ann and Shiho looked over to see him, declaring his desire to join in on the game. Was he serious?

"Amamiya-kun." The blonde girl whispered as she watched the boy hold his hand high, asking for permission.

"So, you want to play, huh Amamiya-san?" Kamoshida smirked a little. While this wasn't his original plan, this could actually be interesting. "Alright. One of you sit out." He ordered one of the students on the other team to tag out.

One he was allowed, he dropped his hand and walked onto the court. Soon enough, he heard people boo him, his presence onto the court creating a negative reaction.

"Get off the court, criminal!"

"Show that thug who's boss, Mr. Kamoshida!"

"Put that piece of shit in his place!"

 _Wow, I must be that popular_. He adjusted his glasses, the taunts and insults were almost humorous.

"Assholes. They don't even know him." Ryuji spat angrily, the insults among the students were enough to set him off.

"Always trying to play hero, the idiot." Kazuma thought aloud, knowing the real reason why Ren was challenging Kamoshida. He heard the cries and boos of everyone in the gym, utterly disgusted by their behaviors. He looked around and saw that Suzui and Takamaki, did not share their sentiments. The latter looked pissed off due to the hate Ren was receiving while former actually appeared to be quite worried and concerned, fearing that he was going to get hurt. It was from looking at that sad look in her eyes that he knew he couldn't stand by and do nothing. Just like his father said, you can either do nothing or do something. "Damn it."

Against his character and better judgment, Kazuma stood up and walked over to the court. He didn't even bother asking for permission, he approached one of the volleyball team members from behind an tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"I'm tagging in. Beat it." He warned.

"R-Right." He meekly said, walking away. Now everyone's focus was on Kazuma as he took his place onto the court. Ren simply smirked with gratitude for having his back.

"I'm joining in." He declared. "That a problem?"

Shiho watched as her worried expression for the transfer student evaporated and replaced with that of surprise as her classmate took to the court to challenge Kamoshida.

It was... really cool actually.

"So, the transfer students want to play, eh?" The Coach smiled as his opponents stood together to challenge him. "Alright, I'm game! You both ready?"

"Oh, I'm ready," Ren smirked as he reached up and removed his glasses, finally showing the entire school what he looked like without them, his eyes giving off an intense gaze. He put them in his pockets before reaching up to his tracksuit. "The question is..." He then took off his tracksuit, throwing it over his shoulder into Ryuji's direction. "...are you?"

His voice just oozed with confidence which did not go unnoticed by the people around him. Ryuji let out a little whistle, excited to see him take on Kamoshida. Ann could only watch in astonishment as she saw one of the bravest acts ever performed during her time at Shujin Academy. Kazuma just rolled his eyes.

"Show off". He scoffed before turning his attention back to the volleyball coach. "Word is you have a national-winning spike, Mr. Kamoshida," Kazuma spoke up, popping his neck a little, readying himself. "Can you prove that? Or are you just all talk.?"

"Kazuma-kun." Shiho watched as her classmate bravely spoke to Mr. Kamoshida in an insulting manner. She only hoped he would not get hurt in the long run.

Kamoshida kept his anger hidden at these boys for their insolent taunts. "Alright, let's begin the game."

As one of Kamoshida's teammates prepared to serve the ball, Ren and Kazuma briefly looked at one another. It felt like they were back in the castle, that understanding they both shared when they fought against a shadow, that partnership they both had when they shot down Jack O' Lanterns with model guns, and their teamwork in helping Ryuji take down Eligor. They both gave a short nod as they prepared for the match to begin.

It felt as if time has slowed down as they both prepared their plan of attack.

 _Kamoshida thinks he's smart, but I've uncovered his tricks_. Ren began as the ball was served. _He tries to scare us psychologically by making his teammates do most of the work..._

 _...He stays in the background, attempting to psych us out into thinking the next serve over to his side could be a spike. Think again!_ Kazuma hit the ball, sending it over the net. _No, not just any serve would do. He wants the ball as high as it can be, that way..._

 _...He can aim for one of us, just like he did with Mishima._ Ren kept thinking as one of his teammates hit the ball. _Too bad for him, I've picked up on some of his bad habits. Whenever he's planning to spike he..._

 _...Clenches his left hand to crack his knuckles, as if to ready himself_. Kazuma caught on as he watched the Coach smirk lightly and clenched his left hand into a fist. _When he does that, it means..._

 _...The spike is coming!_ Ren watched as one of his teammates hit the ball. Once it reached the net, he watched the Coach go for the move. He had to stop him! _Your spike may be strong, Kamoshida. But you forgot that I'm younger and..._ The coach leaped to perform his spike, but unfortunately for him, he wasn't quick enough.

 _ **FASTER!**_

Using all the strength he had, Ren slammed his hand into the volleyball, performing a spike of his own. The ball landed into one of the teacher's faces, causing him to clutch his face in pain.

The entire gym gasped and went silent as they watched the infamous transfer student, Ren Amamiya, block Kamoshida's signature victory spike and win the round, alongside Kei Kazuma.

"Yes!" Ryuji threw his hands up in the air in excitement as he saw his friends put that pervert in his place.

"Holy..." Ann watched in awe as the look on Kamoshida's face, a face of utter defeat, nearly made her cheer.

"W-Wow _."_ Shiho felt the same as her classmate stood alongside the infamous criminal and together, they blocked the P.E. teacher's spike.

Kamoshida was speechless, unable to move a muscle after being humiliated in front of the entire student body. "H-How could I lose, to these two?!"

"Well, that was fun. But, I think one round is enough for me." Ren quipped as he put his glasses back on. "Good game, Mr. Kamoshida." He gave a formal bow as he turned around and tagged out.

"Hmph." Kazuma, on the other hand, sent a harsh glare toward the volleyball coach. "That's my answer." And with that, he turned around. As he walked back over to his two companions, he briefly looked over to where Shiho was sitting and their eyes met.

 _Happy now, Suzui?_ Kazuma thought as her sorrowful expression turned into one that was awestruck by what she had witnessed.

"That was effin' awesome!" Ryuji exclaimed as he gave Ren a high five and Kazuma a pat on the back. "Holy shit!"

"It was something," Ren replied, turning to his partner-in-crime. "You did good Kazuma."

"That... was satisfying." He admitted, putting that scumbag in his place felt so good.

"You can say that again." Ren said. "Alright guys, fun time is over. You ready?"

"Hell yeah! After watching that, I'm all fired up!" Sakamoto said, pumped up and ready to get to work.

"Hmph." Kazuma gave a simple nod.

"Alright then, it's showtime!" He exclaimed as he put on his tracksuit, heading out of the gym with both Ryuji and Kazuma following.

* * *

Little did they know that while the game resumed, one individual kept her gaze on the boys and saw that they were leaving the gym with determined expressions.

As Ann watched them leave the gym, she wondered what they could be doing.

 _What are they up to?_

* * *

 **This scene was inspired by BlackDomus500's fic _A Joker's Panther_ , in which Akira/Ren blocks Kamoshida's spike using power borrowed from Arsene.**

 **We all know the whole purpose behind this volleyball rally, it was nothing more than an ego trip for Kamoshida. And well, our protagonists just took a spike to that ego! Screw you, Kamodoucha!**

 **The next chapter will have Kazuma and Ann meet for the first time, and all I will say is, it doesn't end well.**

 **Til next time.**


	9. Why I Suffer

**Back again with another chapter!**

 **Now let me just start off by saying the last portion of this chapter took so long to plan out, especially with all the happens in the actual game, it was an idea that I had no idea on how to execute. Thankfully, my friend BlackDomus500 contributed to helping me write out this chapter and without his help, I couldn't have done it so if you haven't already, go check out his fic, _A Joker's Panther_ , he just recently uploaded a new chapter. Let's give him a round of applause ladies and gentlemen.**

 **No shoutouts for this chapter.**

 **After this, I'll be focusing on my other fics so it may be a while for an update but don't worry, I'm already thinking about what to write for the next chapter.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 9th chapter.**

* * *

The three made their way to the part of the courtyard where it was most quiet and empty. With benches and vending machines, this would serve as their base. Now that they were alone and away from prying eyes and ears, it was time to begin the investigation.

"Man, that asshole was actin' like a king the whole time," Ryuji complained.

"Seriously. This "Volleyball rally" was nothing more than an ego trip, plain and simple." Ren concluded.

"Damn right, and how he acted like he was worried about Mishima. What an abusive d-bag!" He continued before giving the two a thumbs up. "But you guys effin' rocked! Definitely, put that bastard in his place."

"I'm sorry, are we going to talk about the volleyball rally all day, or are we going to get started?" Kazuma said impatiently.

"R-Right." Ryuji dropped his complaints before getting back to the task at hand. "Now's our chance to go look for the guys we saw were slaves yesterday. All of the members of the Volleyball team should be here today." He clenched his fist, rubbing the side of his leg with his free hand as he thought that this was the time to get serious. "I'll be sure to find someone to spill about Kamoshida's physical abuse. Just you wait, asshole."

"So, where should we start?" Ren started.

"Well, the first one that popped out was a guy from Class D, so let's start from there." the spiky blonde offered.

"Isn't that your class, Amamiya?" Kazuma questioned.

"That's right." He nodded before offering a suggestion. "How about you lead the questioning for this one Kazuma. I don't think he'll talk to me."

"And people have been avoidin' me lately, so..." Ryuji said.

"Fine." He groaned. He knew this was a waste of time. He doubted any of the volleyball members will willingly testify. But, for the time being, until he can enact his own plan, he'll humor the two. Who knows? Maybe one of them will confess.

"And Kazuma, try to play nice, please." The probationer added.

"Hmph." He turned away, not promising anything.

"Alright, guys. Let's do this."

The two followed Kazuma's lead as they made their way to the 2nd-floor hallway. Once they entered the 2-D, it was easy to spot the volleyball team member they were looking for.

"There he is." Ryuji pointed him out.

He had the number 5 on his jersey and his face was covered in bruises. He stood over by the chalkboard and appeared to be minding his own business.

The three walked over to him to try and get a testimony out of him.

"Yo," Ryuji called out to get his attention.

"Huh?" He turned around and faced the three. Once he saw Ren among them, he let out a scoffing sound. "Are you skipping out on the volleyball rally? I guess I should've expected it from you, transfer."

"It got a little dull after a while," Ren commented, adjusting his glasses.

"Sakamoto too?" He pointed out before noticing the member of their party. "And 2-E's transfer student? What do you guys want?"

"We're the ones asking the questions here so shut up and listen," Kazuma warned, scaring the volleyball team member a little which earned a groan from Ren.

So much for playing nice.

"What's with the bandages? How did you get those injuries?" He questioned.

"T-They're from practice." He tried to argue. "What does that have to do anything."

"Kamoshida did it to you, right?" Ryuji asked. "Look, I ain't gonna tell anyone you squealed. Just tell us about how Kamoshida's abusin' you."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" He continued to fight back, the questioning was beginning to frighten him.

"Why are you so afraid?" Ren genuinely asked.

"I'm not! You guys are talking complete nonsense!" He exclaimed.

"Don't try n' hide it! We already know!" Ryuji yelled out.

"You... You know?" His eyes widened but remained skeptical. "You have proof?"

"Proof?" The spiky blonde was put on the spot as he had no idea what to do. "Well, I... uh."

"Physical proof, no," Ren interjected. "But your reaction just proved that we're not talking nonsense."

"S-Shut up! You guys tricked me!" He fired back. "Please, leave me alone. You're really bothering me!"

"We're wasting our time with this idiot." Kazuma brought up.

"Y-Yeah. Cmon, let's go." Ryuji relented as he and the others left the classroom, their confrontation with the team member was attracting some stares. Once they were out of the classroom, the spiky blonde hit the wall out of frustration. "That injury ain't normal! And he still won't fess up."

"I told you this was a stupid idea." His classmate argued. "Trying to get a testimony from an assault victim is like trying to pull out your own wisdom teeth. Near impossible."

"Maybe if someone didn't go all 'bad cop' on him, we would've gotten somethin'," The spiky blonde argued. "Ren told you to play nice, damn it!"

"You don't tell me what to do, Sakamoto. And neither does he." Kazuma fired back.

"Guys, stop it. If we keep arguing, the rally will end and we'll be out of time." Ren interjected with a solution. "Let's try splitting up, we'll cover more ground that way."

"Yeah, you're right." Ryuji agreed. "I'll check the Practice Building for people before clubs start. You two handle the Classroom Building."

"Then we have a plan." The probation added. "Any leads?"

"There's a third-year on the volleyball team that I remember. I think he's in...3-C?" The spiky blonde thought.

"I'll check the 3rd floor for him," Ren said.

"He was beaten pretty badly at the castle. He might have some injuries here too." Ryuji brought up before turning to his classmate. "And there's a first year who's a new member. He just joined so he might not be all wrapped up in Kamoshida's web of bullshit yet. Can you check that out, dude?"

"Sure." Kazuma simply said.

"All right, let's get going." Sakamoto ended the meeting. "I'll hit you guys up if I find anything. Seeya." He parted ways with his two companions as he left for the Practice Building.

"Good luck, Kazuma," Ren said. "And try to play nice this time."

"Hmph." The boy said nothing as he took his leave, heading upstairs to the 1st year floor.

Ren made his way downstairs to the 3rd year hallway. He looked around and saw Takamaki and her friend, Suzui, talking amongst themselves on his left. While this would be an opportune moment to question his blonde classmate about Kamoshida, he opted to stay focused on the task at hand. He looked over to his right and found two 3rd-years standing outside of 3-C. The bandages on one of them was a dead giveaway. He approached them, overhearing their conversation a bit.

"Man, cleaning up after the volleyball rally is gonna be such a goddamn pain." The bandaged student remarked.

"Tell me about it." His friend said.

Now was the time.

"Excuse me. Could I talk to you for a moment?" Ren interrupted their conversation.

"Huh?" The bandaged student turned around and saw a 2nd-year trying to talk to him. "You got something to say?"

"You're on the volleyball team, right?" Amamiya questioned.

"Yeah, so what if I am?" He fired back, wondering what was the point of this questioning.

"Hey, I know who this guy is." His friend pointed out. "He's that transfer student in 2-D. The one who's been hanging out with Sakamoto."

"Oh, I get it." The bandaged student figured out Ren's intentions. "You're trying to snoop on Mr. Kamoshida, right?

"Just concerned for my senpai, that's all." Ren tried to play it cool but it didn't convince either of them.

"Look, our volleyball team performs at a national level. Of course, our practices are gonna be tough." The bandaged student argued. "Mr. Kamoshida's just dedicated to training us. You and that other transfer shouldn't believe every lie Sakamoto says."

"You sure it's not physical abuse?" The probationer questioned which made them wince a little. "Normal injuries like yours shouldn't come from standard volleyball practice."

"W-What do you know?!" He fired back.

"Hey, we should stop talking to him. What if he loses it and starts attacking us?" His friend brought up, wanting to get away from Ren. "I heard he even carries a knife around. Who knows what he's capable of."

"Y-Yeah. We're outta here!" He and his friend walked away, leaving Ren with no answers.

 _Crap. Maybe Kazuma had a point._ He groaned before he heard a ring from his phone. He pulled it out and saw that he had received a text from Ryuji.

 **Ryuji: How's it going?**

 **Ren: He wouldn't tell me anything.**

 **Ryuji: Him too? Man, everyone's too freaked out about Kamoshida.**

 **Ren: What about you Kazuma?**

 **Kazuma: Take a wild guess.**

 **Ryuji: So you didn't have any luck either? Damn it. All right, screw it, let's regroup for now. See you guys in the courtyard.**

Before he could put his phone away, he heard it ring again to notify him that he received another text. This time, it was Kazuma who was texting him outside the group chat.

 **Kazuma: Amamiya. The first year told me that your class rep often gets "special coaching" from Kamoshida. I think we both know what that means.**

 **Ren: Class rep? You mean Mishima?**

 **Kazuma: If that's his name, then yes. Also, I overheard some members of the volleyball team on the 2nd floor talking about us. I think people are catching on to what we're doing.**

 **Ren: That so? So much for acting under the radar.**

 **Kazuma: I'm going to see if I can get some dirt from them. Head to the courtyard without me.**

 **Ren: Alright. Oh, and Kazuma?**

 **Kazuma: What?**

 **Ren: Thanks for sticking with us, or more specifically, me.**

He didn't get a text back until a few minutes later.

 **Kazuma: Later.**

And with that, the texting between them ended. He only hoped that Kazuma could get something from the volleyball team members. They need something at this point.

He put his phone away and headed for the courtyard.

* * *

Having finally arrived at their meeting place, Ren took a seat on the bench as he waited for Ryuji to arrive. So far, they haven't been able to make any progress in the investigation. Kazuma was right, none of the volleyball team members are willing to testify against Kamoshida. That man must be very powerful to keep them all silent about his abuse.

 _What do we do?_ He thought over his options. The only other option he could think of would be to do something about Kamoshida's shadow-self in the castle. If the two Kamoshidas are connected, maybe if they defeated the shadow, the real one would be affected too.

"Amamiya-kun?"

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone call his name. He looked up and saw that it was his blonde classmate, Ann Takamaki.

"Takamaki-san?" It wasn't who he was expecting but that didn't mean he wasn't happy to see her again. He got up and gave a bow. "Good to see you again."

She smiled, he was just as formal and nice as he was when they first met. "Likewise. Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course." He sat down on the bench and made some room for her. She took a seat next to him before they started. "I never got to thank you for lending me your textbook. Can I get you something to drink?" He pointed to the vending machine but she shook her head.

"It's alright. I just wanted to talk to you." She continued.

"What about?" Ren questioned.

"Well, it's about those rumors about you." Ann brought up.

"Which one are you talking about? There's so many I've lost track." He quipped as he listed off the rumors. "Is it the one where I carry a knife? The one where I use the bones of my enemies as toothpicks? Or my favorite one, that I kill squirrels and use their fur to make my clothes?"

She couldn't help but laugh a bit at that last one. "Okay, that one was pretty bad!" She laughed some more before calming down. "Seriously though. You're handling it pretty well."

"People are entitled to believe what they want," Ren stated. "I know who I am and I'm not going to let their comments stop me from being myself."

"Being yourself, huh?" She thought about his words. Ren definitely wasn't like the rumors portray him as. She knew that from the start. He was so nice to her when they first met that there was no way he was some violent criminal. He didn't let the rumors affect him and he treated them like they were jokes. "Are you and Sakamoto getting along. I've been seeing you and him together a lot lately." She changed the subject.

"Well, he's the only person, besides Kazuma, that will talk to me. But, so far he's not a bad guy." He told her.

"Kazuma? Is that the transfer student in his class?" She asked.

"That's the one," Ren told her. "He's not exactly a people person, but he's not a bad guy either."

"I see." She thought over his friendship with Sakamoto and the other transfer student. It kind of reminded her of her friendship with Shiho, the only friend she had in this school. It was good to hear that her classmate has found similar friendship, after all in this shithole known as Shujin Academy, true friends were hard to come by. "You guys were late on the first day, right? What as that all about? Because I totally didn't buy that excuse Kawakami gave."

"That?" Now, this was going to be a problem. It appears that she caught him, not believing the fabricated story that he and Kazuma helped a sick Ryuji to the doctor on the first day. It's not like he could tell her what actually happened. "It's a long story."

"Oh? Do tell." She crossed her arms, not letting him off the hook.

"Well, it's..."

"Whaddya want with him?"

Whatever Ren was about to say was cut off when Ryuji entered the picture, wondering just what Ann was doing with him. She apparently didn't appreciate their talk being interrupted as she got up from the bench and spoke to Ryuji in a tone that wasn't considered friendly.

"Right back at you. You're not even in our class," She fired back.

"We just happened to get to know each other." He responded.

"Uh huh." She replied before crossing her arms. "What are you planning to do to Mr. Kamoshida?"

"Huh?!" Ryuji replied a little shocked that their investigation had reached the ears of others. But hearing this from Ann must've triggered something from him because he started to get mad. "Ah, I see. I getcha. You really are all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all."

"This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!" Ann didn't take that likely as she fired back in a harsh tone.

"If you found out what he was doin' behind your back, you'd dump him right away." He told her.

Ann's eyes widened a bit at that comment.

"Behind my back?" She questioned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's nothing." He shook his head, not wanting to get her involved. "You wouldn't get it,"

"That's enough, Ryuji," Ren interjected. Not wanting to hear any more of this. After defusing the situation, Ann decided to get to the point.

"Anyway, people are already talking about you guys." She explained. "I don't know what you're trying to pull but no one is gonna help you," She informed them before looking away regrettably. "I'm warning you, stop this now before you get in serious trouble."

"But, can't you help us?" He asked her. "It's clear you don't like him either."

"I..." She shook her head and looked away in shame, not wanting to meet eye contact with him as she refused his offer. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Takamaki-san..." He tried to come up with another way to convince her but that was ruined when Ryuji interrupted.

"Alright, we got your warning. Now beat it." The spiky blonde demanded.

Ann simply gave him a glare and a scoffing sound as she stormed away, leaving the boys to themselves.

"Why's she gotta be so aggressive all the time." The spiky blonde complained.

"Looks who's talking." Ren fired back. "What was that all about? You didn't have to treat her like that."

"She'll only get in our way, dude," Ryuji replied. "And, she was basically telling us to stop."

"Yeah, and you want to know why? It's because you made her think that we believe in those sick rumors that people are making about her. You know, those disgusting rumors that people have made up about her for no reason other than to create gossip, chit-chat, and to attack her simply because they don't like her." He argued. "With all the rumors people have been making about you and me, I thought you were better than that, Ryuji."

"That..." Ren really hit him this time with his words of truth. He always hated how people made him out to be a thug which is why he didn't believe the rumors surrounding Ren. But, he had a point. Maybe it was Takamaki getting in their business that he had said things simply just to get her to leave, but she didn't deserve that. After all, he knew the same girl he got along with in middle school wasn't what the rumors were making her out to be. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I think I may have overreacted." The spiky blonde chuckled a bit, scratching the back of his head. "How do you know her?"

"We went to the same middle school." He told her. "Anyway, moving on. I had no luck on my end. What about you? Did anything like, someone's name turn up?"

"No, but Kazuma found something," Ren informed him. "My class rep, Mishima, often receives 'special coaching' from Kamoshida."

"'Special Coaching', huh?" Ryuji repeated as he knew there was nothing special about it. "True, I always see the guy covered in bruises. Let's go talk to him before he leaves then."

"Alright. Let me text Kazuma and let him know what we're doing." He said as he pulled out his phone.

 **Ren: Hey Kazuma we're going to go talk to Mishima. Meet us at the school's exit when you're done.**

With that done, they left to find Mishima, this investigation far from over.

* * *

Kazuma laid against the wall of the 2nd-year floor, out of eyesight from the two volleyball team members who were talking amongst themselves. He knew better, he knew Ren and Ryuji weren't going to get anywhere talking to them upfront. If their fear of the new "criminal" transfer student was enough to keep them quiet, then it was their obvious cowardly nature.

They were clearly afraid of what Kamoshida may do to them if they were to speak of any dirty laundry he may have. Kazuma opted for a different approach, another way to obtain information.

Eavesdropping.

While this action could be seen as cowardly, desperate times call for desperate measures. Him and Ren beating that douchebag at his own game during the rally was bound to come with consequences, especially since Kamoshida tried to induct him into the volleyball team. As if he would ever join a team lead by him.

 _Especially after what he did to_ _her_. He thought angrily.

He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand as he overheard the two members talking amongst themselves.

"Sakamoto and that criminal are going around asking about Mr. Kamoshida." One started.

"I know, it's like they want to be expelled. The other scoffed.

"They seem like trouble, especially Amamiya." The first one admitted. "But, what if they..."

"Dude, shut up." The other shushed his teammate. "Whatever you're about to say, don't say it. You know what Mr. Kamoshida will do to us if we... you know..."

"Yeah, sorry." He apologized, understanding his teammates fear.

"Just stay away from them. That other transfer student in 2-E has been hanging around them as well so he's likely in on whatever they're planning. Avoid him too."

"Sure dude." He nodded as the two went downstairs.

 _Cowards_. Kazuma scoffed in disgust.

Everyone must've heard that Ren and Ryuji were investigating Kamoshida, likely due to their questioning. These students were so stupid. They continuously endure abuse and do nothing in defense. They just... allow it. They allow themselves and their friends to suffer for nothing more than personal gain. It made him sick to his stomach, especially to be attending the same school as them.

He heard the vibration of his phone from his pocket. He pulled it out and read it.

 **Ren: Hey Kazuma we're going to go talk to Mishima. Meet us at the school's exit when you're done.**

Since it was clear that he wasn't going to get anything out of the students, he got off the wall and decided to head to the exit. But before he could, he was stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, its Kazuma-kun, right?" Asked the girl who stood in front of him.

He knew who she was, after all, people won't shut up about her. Ann Takamaki, the girl who everyone believes to be fooling around with Kamoshida. He also knew her as Suzui's friend. She was present on his first day when Kazuma bumped into that guy that was flirting with her and her blonde pigtails made her stand out from the rest of the student body. What did she want with him?

Ann had just given her warning to Ren and Ryuji so she figured she could give one to this guy as well. Her initial impression of him was that he was unfriendly, considering he bumped into Daisuke on the first day and didn't even apologize, he just glared and scared him. Then again, Daisuke was an asshole so maybe he wasn't so bad.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked again as he gave no response to her previous question.

"I have nothing to say to you. Get lost." He told her, wanting her to leave. He had things to do and didn't want to waste time talking to her.

"There's no need to be rude, I just came to give you a warning." She said, a little put off by his rude remark. She was right, he is unfriendly. "I know what you're doing. You, Amamiya-kun, and Sakamoto. You need to stop, right now."

His expression went from annoyed to enraged. To think, he originally thought of her as a victim of rumors. Turns out she's just like the volleyball team and everyone else in this rotten school.

A coward.

"It's for the best. Messing with Kamoshida will only get you in trouble. He goes after your weakness and once he has it, he'll hold it over you until you graduate or get expelled." She warned him. "Give up now before it's too late."

"So you're just going to let that guy prance around the school doing whatever the hell he wants? You're fine with that?" Kazuma fired back in a harsh tone which took her off guard.

"That... doesn't matter." She hesitated for a little bit. She had to stay strong, for Shiho's sake. "I-I don't have a choice."

"Wow." He shook his head in disapproval before frowning at her. What was wrong with her?! She was okay with having that scumbag waltz around this school after what he did to her friend?! "You're pathetic."

"What?" Ann was taken aback by the cold tone he chose to give as he insulted her.

"I said, you're pathetic." He said again, causing Ann to frown a little. "I know who you are, Ann Takamaki, and I know of the nasty rumors about you and Kamoshida. You and I both know, it's a load of crap." He said, catching her off guard as he expressed his disbelief at the rumors about her. "And yet, you do nothing about it. You just sit there and let people call you easy and a slut when you know that's not what you are. You allow that bastard to continuously harass you every day when it's clear that you hate him, probably more than Sakamoto does anyway."

"You don't..."

"I don't want to hear your excuses so shut up." He cut her off, causing her to recoil. "People like you make me sick. Your cowardice is worse than the rumors. If anything, you're just as awful as he is."

"Y-You..." His words hurt, tears threatened to break through and she was growing angry at this guy. He had no idea how powerful Kamoshida was, how he could end a student's future with the snap of his fingers. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough to know that you're weak. And a coward." He threw one last insult her way before ending the conversation. He walked right up to her, giving her the most hateful glare he could give to one such as her. "I'm done talking to you. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way." He finished as he walked right past her, not seeing the point in dealing with her any longer.

* * *

Once he was gone, Ann clenched her fists as tears threatened to break through. She walked away, heading to the girl's restroom, not wanting to cry in front of other students. If his objective was to make her feel like the worst human being in the world, mission accomplished. Now that she was alone, she allowed the tears to break free.

"F-Fuck you, asshole." She muttered as tears poured down her eyes.

Why was someone as nice as Ren hanging around with such a jerk like him? Why did he have to go and say such horrible things to her? Because she tried to warn him about the dangers of going up against someone like Kamoshida?

He didn't understand, he didn't understand why she couldn't help them.

As she wiped the tears, she resolved to keep strong for Shiho.

Even though deep down, his words may have been hurtful, but they weren't completely wrong.

* * *

Ren and Ryuji spotted the 2-D class rep about to leave school for the day. He was hunched over a little, likely worn out from the volleyball rally. They jogged up to him, hoping to get a word with him.

"Hey, got a second?" Ryuji asked, getting his attention.

"Sakamoto?" He asked before noticing who was with him. "A-and you too?!

"Hello, Mishima-kun." He greeted warmly.

"We just wanna chat." The spiky blonde tried to ease his nerves. "Kamoshida's been 'coaching' you, huh? You sure it's not just physical abuse?"

"C-Certainly not." Mishima took a step back, rejecting his accusation.

"What're talkin' all polite for? We saw him spike you today. Right in the face." Sakamoto argued.

"That was just because I'm not good at the sport." Mishima tried his best to rebuttal his claims but didn't sound so sure of it.

"One time, I can see that. But I counted five. He spiked you five times, Mishima-kun." Ren pointed out.

"And that doesn't explain all the other bruises you've got," Ryuji mentioned.

"They're from practice!" The boy exclaimed.

"Is he forcin' you to keep quiet?" The spiky blonde continued to push

"That's..." Mishima couldn't take these accusations. He wanted to leave right away and escape them. Because if they keep this up, then...

"What's going on here?"

And in came the devil. They looked to see that Mr. Kamoshida himself had noticed their little interrogation of the blue-tinted haired boy and intervened.

"Mishima, isn't it time for practice?" The coach asked.

"I-I'm not feeling well today." He made a weak excuse.

"What? Maybe you're better off quitting then." Kamoshida added which made the boy shot up. "You're never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice."

Ryuji didn't like the way he was criticizing him and decided to put a stop to it. He moved closer to the coach, getting in his face.

"Didn't you hear? He ain't feelin' well!" Ryuji fired.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue in annoyance, ignoring the insolent delinquent. "Well, Mishima? Are you coming to practice or not?"

"I..." He knew that no excuse he could come up with would be good enough. And with that, he gave up. "I'll go."

"Glad to hear it." He then turned to Ryuji, glaring at the troublemaker. "As for you, any more trouble and you'll be gone from this school for sure."

"Bastard." The spiky blonde cursed under his breath.

"Same goes for you." He growled at Ren's direction, the lingering thoughts of being humiliated by this criminal and his partner still fresh on his mind. "Didn't the principal tell you to keep in line?"

"I was just leaving, sir." He adjusted his glasses, preventing the coach from seeing his expression.

"Hmph. Just don't get in the way of my practice." He warned him. "All these unsettling rumors are making the students anxious, after all."

"That's your own goddamn fault." Ryuji spat out angrily.

"Tch, this won't get us anywhere. Let's go, Mishima." He turned around, his back facing them. "Shujin Academy is a place where those with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students like yourselves don't have any right to be here." He looked over his shoulder, glaring at the students. "Get with the program!"

"Y-Yes, sir." Mishima nodded.

And with that, Kamoshida left the boys, heading to the gym to begin practice.

"He sure likes to hear himself talk." Kazuma walked up and joined the others.

"Were you listening?" Amamiya asked.

"Yeah." He told them, leaving out his encounter with Takamaki. "Couldn't find anything new. Lead was a bust."

"That asshole." Ryuji stomped his foot forward in the direction where Kamoshida had left. "He's gonna pay for this."

"There's no point," Mishima told them.

"Huh?!" The spiky blonde heard him mutter.

"Proving that he's physically abusing us... is meaningless." He told them the cold truth. "Everybody knows. The principal, our parents. They all know and they all keep quiet and it."

"What?!" Sakamoto couldn't believe what he was hearing. "This has gotta be a joke!"

"Don't be a pain." He glared at him. "You don't understand what I'm going through. Shouldn't you of all people know that nothing's going to help?"

"Well..." Ryuji was shut down again, remembering how he tried to fight back, only to have his future ripped from him by Kamoshida.

"You're a joke." Kazuma intervened, not able to keep quiet any longer. "So fatass and your parents keep quiet? So what? If you're choosing to keep quiet about it too instead of standing up for yourself and your teammates, that doesn't make you any better. It makes you worse."

"Y-You don't know anything, new kid." He fired back, preparing to leave to go attend practice only to have his arm roughly grabbed by Kazuma.

"I know more than you might think." He brought the kid closer so only he could hear him. "I saw you yesterday. I know what you did."

"W-What?" His eyes widened at his words as he wondered what he was referring too. He couldn't reply as fear coursed through him. Once the transfer student released his arm, he walked away.

"What was that all about?" Ren asked curiously.

"It's nothing." He said.

"Dammit," Ryuji muttered before turning to his companions. "I'll try one more time to persuade the other guys. That's... all I can do."

"You did your best today, Ryuji. We all did." The probationer stated. "Let's all head home. We'll try again tomorrow."

"Right." The spiky blonde nodded in agreement.

"I have cleaning duty today," Kazuma told them. "Go on without me, Amamiya."

"Again?" Ren questioned.

"Seriously? Dude, Chouno must be out to get you or something." Ryuji added.

"It's whatever." He finished before leaving.

The investigation didn't end as planned but they were just getting started. The boys went to go change before going their separate ways.

* * *

Kazuma made it to the 2-E and begun cleaning the classroom. He took his sweet time, not wanting to hurry like last time. For his plan to work, he'll have to finish around the time volleyball practice ends.

As he continued to clean the classroom, the door opened. He feared it was Kamoshida, who wanted to confront him after helping Amamiya take a spike to his ego.

Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The teacher apologized. "I thought Ms. Chouno was still here." She turned to leave before noticing that the boy on cleaning duty was non-other than 2-E's transfer student. "Excuse me, Kazuma-kun?"

"Hmm?" He looked up.

"We haven't officially met. I'm Sadayo Kawakami, your Japanese Language teacher." She introduced herself, reaching her hand out. "I understand that you're under Tori Ichihara's care? She's a really good friend of mine."

"Oh?" Now he remembered. When he first arrived, Tori spoke about how one of her friends works here. So this is Sadayo. He got up and shook her hand. "You're friends with Tori?"

"That's right." She nodded. "We've known each other since high school. If you don't mind, how do you know her?"

"She was my nanny." He told her.

"Oh?! So you were with the family she was working for." Her eyes widened before realizing his situation. "O-Oh, wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"Forget it, Ms." He brushed off her apology before deciding to get back to cleaning.

"If I may ask. You and Amamiya-kun seem to be together quite a bit." She brought up. "Are you two getting along?"

"Something like that." He commented.

"Ah. I'm glad to hear it." She replied. "I was worried he might have trouble making friends. But, I'm glad to see..."

"He's not my friend." He told her.

"O-Oh." She coughed a bit before deciding to take her leave. "Anyway, It was nice meeting you, Kazuma-kun. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Once she left, Kazuma resumed his cleaning. So that was Tori's friend? While not as weird as she is, there was something off about her. It's like she was fighting to keep the conversation going, almost like she was tired or something.

Whatever, it wasn't important at the moment.

Once he got done cleaning, he checked his phone for the time. Volleyball practice should've ended. The time was now to enact his plan. He put away all of his cleaning materials and left the classroom.

As he made it to the 1st floor, he put in his earphones to listen to music while he waits for Suzui.

 _I should really get back into playing my guitar_. He thought to himself. _Listening to these same old tracks is getting old_.

He remembered a time where he couldn't get off his guitar. He treated it like it was his child. He kept it in good shape, made sure the strings worked perfectly and loved performing in front of his parents who were marveled by their son's skill with the instrument.

As he pushed those thoughts aside, the person of interest finally arrived.

Suzui.

She kept her head down as she left the school. Before Kazuma could make his move, two students followed after her, their faces spoke of ill intent.

 _What's going on?_ He removed his earphones as he watched those students go after her. They weren't members of the volleyball team as they didn't come from the practice building.

Whatever it was, Kazuma followed after, wanting to see what they were up too.

Once he was outside the front entrance, Suzui and those two students were nowhere to be found. He walked down the steps and couldn't find them. They had just left the building, where could they be. As he listened carefully, he heard chatter coming from the alleyway. He moved in closer and saw those students talking to Suzui.

"So tell us, Suzui-san. Is it true?" One of them asked.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She muttered.

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about. I heard you're friends with Takamaki? You know, Kamoshida's bitch."

"That..."

"It's completely unfair, you know. I hear that slut's always giving him some head. What does Mr. Kamoshida have that I don't?!" His friend argued.

"A national winning spike, you moron." The other one quipped before returning to Suzui. "What do you say, Suzui-san? Think you can hook us up?"

"N-No." She frowned at them. "D-Don't talk about my friend like that."

"Oh, someone's feisty!" He laughed a little. "What about you, Suzui-san? I bet you've hooked up with Kamoshida haven't you?"

"Nah, man. You don't know this, but I've actually caught this bitch staring at that new transfer student in 2-E."

"Really?" He replied. "So, you have a thing for that guy, huh? Why don't you forget about that loser and hook up with a real man."

Kazuma knew what he was seeing here. Just a couple of horny teenage douchebags who believe those stupid rumors about Takamaki and think Suzui is the same way. He was disgusted by the fact that he went to the same school with these morons and could only imagine the worse possible outcome if he didn't step in.

"What do you say, Suzui-san" The main bully spoke in a low tone as he pressed his hand against the wall behind her.

 _That's it. I'm done listening to these idiots!_ Kazuma declared.

"P-Please." She pleaded.

"Hey!" Kazuma stepped forward into the alley, getting their attention. Suzui looked over to see who had called out to them and her eyes widened at who it was.

"Y-You." She recognized him.

"Holy shit, what a coincidence. It's the transfer student from 2-E." One of them remarked. "Wait your turn, we'll be done in a minute."

"You're done now." He told the two. "I'm going to give you both 10 seconds to get away from her and leave."

Suzui could only watch as the boy came to her defense. The two guys who were harassing her focused their attention on him who seemed agitated at having their "fun" interrupted.

"Can you believe this asshole?" He asked his friend. "This has nothing to do with you. Why don't you leave?"

"That was 5 seconds." He continued to warn them. "Leave her alone, now. I won't ask again."

"Oh, he won't ask again?" He and his friend laughed a bit. "You know what, fair enough big man. We'll leave." He said turning around, pretending to leave as he chose to throw a punch. "Fuck you!"

The fist landed on Kazuma's cheek, causing Suzui to gasp. Unfortunately, it didn't go as he planned as he wasn't strong enough to move his face with the force of his punch. If anything, it felt like hitting a brick wall.

Kazuma reached up, grabbed onto the man's arm whose fist was still against his cheek, and roughly pushed it away.

"Ow." He muttered as if it was nothing. "You really shouldn't have done that."

"W-What the..." He clutched his fist with his free hand.

"You know what they say: Eye for an eye." The boy told him and he stepped forward and slammed his forehead into his attacker's face.

"GAH!" He fell backward, hitting the ground and clutching his face in pain.

"Keita!" His friend cried out before attempting his own attack. "You asshole!"

He threw a fist but Kazuma dodged it. He then grabbed the fool by the neck and lifted him up in the air. He always prided himself on the training he received as a kid. His parents wanted to make sure their son could think, act, and fight like a detective would in any situation.

"The more you struggle, the tighter I'll squeeze." He warned him, slamming his foe against the wall. "Listen to me and listen well. You too." He turned to his friend, who was still on the ground clutching his nose. "You're going to leave now. Go home and forget this ever happened." He told them exactly what was going to happen. "And, if either of you gets the notion to make up a story saying that I attacked you out of nowhere, let me just say this. If I'm expelled, then I'm no longer held in check by the rules. Therefore, nothing will stop me from finding you both and finishing the job. Nod if you understand." He demanded and the fool he was holding by the neck nodded. He looked over, his friend Keita did the same. "Good. Now beat it." Kazuma then let the douchebag was able to breathe normally upon being released.

He and his friend got up and walked past him, reluctantly following his orders. Just as they left the alleyway, the boy known as Keita decided to get the final word in.

"This school was great until you and that criminal showed up!" He yelled. "Why don't you pieces of shit go back where you came from! You don't belong here!"

Kazuma simply looked over his shoulder and glared which was enough to send him running.

 _I'm from here, idiot_. He said in his mind, but enough was enough. They had been dealt with and he was certain they wouldn't tell anyone what happened here.

"Kazuma-kun," Suzui spoke, addressing him by name, startling him a bit. She had her hands clasped together as she appeared worried. "Are you okay?"

He looked back at her and saw that she was clearly still shaken up by what happened and if he wanted answers, he couldn't be aggressive.

"You remember me?" He questioned, curious as to whether she remembered their first meeting.

"I do." She nodded before giving him a small smile. "It seems we meet again."

 _It's that same smile_. He noted, the same smile when he unintentionally gave her advice at the train station. A smile of gratitude.

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away and getting back to the task at hand.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked.

"N-No. They didn't do anything." She responded.

"Where did you get that bruise then?" Kazuma pointed to the bruise on her left eye.

"O-Oh, this?" She reached up and touched the bruise with her hand, wincing a little as it still hurt to touch. "I-I got it from volleyball practice."

"A volleyball did that to you?" He raised an eyebrow at her story.

"Y-Yeah. Mr. Kamoshida's practices are tough." She tried to play it off but noticed that Kazuma was frowning like he was irritated about something. Did she upset him?

"How do you do that?" He asked.

"Do what?" She replied, wondering what he meant.

"How do you lie like that?" He answered which made her eyes widen at the glare that formed on his face when she asked him that question.

"W-What are you talking about?" She persisted. "I'm not l-lying.

"Really? Hmm." He crossed his arms. Time to go in for the kill. "I'll happily remind you that your position can easily be replaced with another." He reiterated the words Kamoshida had told her the day he punched her. "Do those words mean anything you?"

"Wha?!" She gasped upon finding out that this boy knew the truth about her black eye, destroying the lie she had told him. "You heard that?"

"I heard everything." He told her. "I heard him accuse you of being selfish. I heard you talk about your leg injury." He pointed at her leg brace. "And, I heard him punch you."

"N-No." She said weakly.

"It's not just you, is it? There have been others that he's called to his office, right? And then the next day, they show up to school with bruises." He pushed. "I'm right, aren't I?"

She didn't say anything, she just kept her head down in shame, unable to answer him any longer. Kazuma couldn't abide by this, there was no need to keep secret any longer! So why wasn't she saying anything?!

"What is wrong with you?! Why are you protecting him?!" He exclaimed which caught her off guard. "He's hurting you and your teammates! He punched you in the face! You have nothing to gain from this!"

"S-Stop. Please." She begged.

"I want answers, Suzui!" He demanded, getting closer to her. "Why won't you speak out against him?! Why haven't you told anyone?! What the hell is going on here?!"

"Stop!" She screeched out, backing away before tripping, falling to the ground. Kazuma's first instinct was to help her up, but as he approached, he saw her shaking in fear. Fear of him.

What was wrong with him? This was precisely what he said he wasn't going to do. Hell, she was nearly assaulted by two douchebags and here he was calling her out aggressively. And now, she won't tell him anything. She was staring at him, frightened and quivering, all because of him

"I didn't. I mean, I wasn't..." He shook his head. He had failed, she won't tell him anything now, especially with the way he was acting. "Nevermind. I'll just go." He turned away from her, preparing to leave and accept his failure.

Only he couldn't move.

"Huh?" As he took one step forward, he felt something weighing his other leg down, preventing movement. He looked down to see what the source was and in a shocking turn of events, it wasn't what he was expecting.

Suzui was holding onto his leg and wouldn't let go.

"Hey, what are-?!" He said in shock at the sight. "What do you think you're doing?! Get off me?!" He struggled but her grip was tight. He didn't want to hurt her, he just wanted her to get off. "I said get-"

"I'm scared."

He heard her speak. At that moment, he stopped struggling against her.

"What?" He replied as her grip on his leg got tighter.

"I'm scared." She repeated. He realized she wasn't talking about him or those idiots from earlier.

She was scared of Kamoshida. Scared for her life.

"Suzui," Kazuma whispered, watching tears fall from her face as she verbally let out her pain.

"I'm scared!" She screamed out. It was a good thing they were further into the alley, otherwise, someone nearby would've heard them. "I'm so scared! I can't take this anymore!"

All of this made Kazuma hate himself a bit for how he approached her, not knowing she kept such pain inside her. This was her true self he was seeing, the part of Suzui that was sick of the continuous harassment and abuse Kamoshida was dealing out to her and her teammates.

He couldn't stand for this. He had to do something.

"Here." He offered her his hand to help her up.

Once she had calmed down a bit, she wiped her tears and grabbed his hand as he helped her back to her feet. She was going to offer an apology for holding onto his leg like that, but he didn't give her a chance. He turned around and walked away, only stopping when they had a few feet from each other.

"Come on." He beckoned her to follow him.

"W-What?" She seemed confused.

"I thought maybe you'd want to talk so I'd like to go somewhere where we're not out in the open." He explained.

"B-But." She muttered a little.

"You have no reason to trust me, Suzui, so if you want to leave, go ahead. I won't stop you. But if you want to talk, then follow me." He let her know that he wasn't forcing her to go with him, nor would he ever do such a thing. He started walking, leaving her to think.

She had a choice, leave and forget this ever happened or follow him and talk about everything. This was her chance, her chance to finally be able to confide in somebody. She couldn't with Ann, there was no telling what she would do.

And it was Kazuma who gave her the choice. Kei Kazuma, her classmate, the same boy she met at the train station who gave her advice when she was feeling down, the same boy who had been on her mind lately, the same boy who came to her defense and saved her from those jerks.

She made her decision as she ran after him.

* * *

They kept silent as they took the train to Shibuya. They both felt like whatever talk that would occur between them is best saved for later when they were away from prying eyes and ear. Although, Shiho was curious as to where they going.

Once they arrived, the two walked to Central Street. Shiho followed behind Kazuma as he lead her to their destination.

After a few minutes of walking, they had arrived.

"Sing-Sing Karaoke?" She questioned, noticing that he had brought her to Central Street's Karaoke establishment.

"Come on." He said as he entered with her following after him.

They walked up to the front cashier to speak with the employee operating it.

"Hello and welcome to Sing-Sing Karaoke." The employee greeted.

"Room for two." Kazuma requested.

"Alright. That'll be ￥1000 for two people." She said. Kazuma pulled out his wallet and handed her the exact amount. Shiho couldn't help but feel guilty for him having to spend money on her too but simply went along with it. "All right. Shall I show you to a room?"

"Yeah. Let's go sing up a storm." He replied, going along with it even though they didn't come here to sing.

"This way please." The employee walked around the front cashier and guided the two to their room.

Once the arrived, the found the room to be quite spacious. It had a large couch with a table in the middle as well as open space from the TV so anyone could sing their heart out.

"Call us if you need anything." The employee said.

"Thanks." He nodded as she left.

Suzui and Kazuma were now alone to finally talk. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. She had agreed to go with him so they could talk, but now that they were alone, she didn't know who should make the first move or who should speak first.

"I..." She muttered a little, a bit anxious at the awkward silence. "I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Hmm? For what?" He asked.

"You spent money on me. Y-You didn't have to do that." She brought up but waved it off.

"Keep your apology, coming here was my idea after all." He walked away from her, sitting down on the couch. "If you want to order something, go ahead."

"But..."

"My guardian gave me a hefty allowance, so it's fine." He assured her. "You going to stand there all day or are you going to sit down?"

"O-Oh." She gasped a little, shaking her head as she moved to sit down on the opposite side of the table.

"About earlier." He tried to start.

"Oh, um..." She still felt a bit guilty about all of this, especially about what happened earlier, and what she did. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to just... grab your leg like that."

"Oh, that?" He remembered her little breakdown, "It's whatever." He simply shrugged off.

"R-Right." She spoke.

This was too awkward. Kazuma wasn't going to get anywhere if they kept this up. She still looked nervous so he decided that the best thing to do was take charge and assure her. Where it anyone else, he'd be upfront about what information they were withholding. But he couldn't do that with her, especially after what happened earlier.

"Listen, Suzui." He said firmly which got her attention as she looked at him. "You have no reason to trust me at all, so if you don't want to talk to me, you can leave and I'll forget this ever happened. I just wanted you to know."

That calmed her down a bit. He was much different than how he had been acting during the last two days of school. He always seemed so angry, always frowning when he walked down the halls and didn't appear friendly to anyone. He clearly didn't appreciate people's gossip, always giving off an intense glare which struck fear into their hearts.

But, something told her that there was more to Kei Kazuma than meets the eye. She recalled their first day of school when he rudely bumped into Daisuke. When he noticed that she was there, his hateful glare had vanished into thin air, which proved that he remembered her. The advice he gave her on that day was advice she couldn't forget, it made her happy to have someone lift her spirits and give her hope.

Because of all that, she felt like if there was anyone that she could confide in about her problems, besides Ann, it would be this mysterious boy.

"It's true." She finally confessed. "All the rumors about Kamoshida, the physical abuse, it's..." She winced a little. "...it's all true."

Kazuma listened carefully as she continued.

"It's been happening since my first-year, probably longer. I don't know. H-He..." She choked a little. "He calls someone to his office for special coaching, but when they arrive at school the next day, they're..." She struggled to continue. "...they're covered in bruises. It happens at random, when someone's late to practice, when someone does something wrong, or just whenever he gets mad."

"And he called you in because of your leg injury?" He asked and she gave him a weak nod.

"H-He said I was slacking off, but that wasn't true! I-I did my best, despite my injury, but he... he was just so angry." She kept her head down as the tears began to form again. She didn't want him to see her cry. "I-It hurts. It hurts everyday! I can't stand this anymore! I hate him! I hate his guts!"

That was it, that was all he needed to know. They weren't rumors, they were the truth. Kamoshida wasn't some superstar Olympic medalist, he was an abusive piece of garbage who took his frustrations out on others. Kazuma clenched his fist in hidden anger at that man, for what he had been doing to people but also angry at the volleyball team for keeping it a secret for their own personal gain. They were so stupid and selfish.

Kazuma picked up a napkin from the table and handed it to Suzui to dry her tears.

"Thank you." She accepted the napkin and wiped her eyes. She then noticed that he got up and pulled out his phone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling the police." He told her which immediately cause her to panic.

"No! Stop!" She immediately rushes off of the couch and snatched his phone from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" He frowned.

"You can't!" She protested. "Calling the police won't do anything except put you in danger!"

"Danger?! You're the one in danger, Suzui!" He argued, unable to understand why she won't stand against Kamoshida. "You need to tell the police! That man can't just get away with hurting you!"

"I can't!" She fired back, wanting him to understand. "If I do, then... he'll go after Ann."

"Ann? You worried about Takamaki, of all people?! Who cares about her?!" He shouted out.

"W-What?" She replied, unable to comprehend what he had said.

"You're worried about that coward?! She refuses to fight back against Kamoshida or do anything about those disgusting rumors about her and she's who you're worried about?! She's not worth it! Why would you choose to suffer for some pathetic cowa-"

*SLAP!*

He felt his head move to the side and an unmistakable sting on his left cheek, along with a red mark that came with it. He reached up and felt the heat emitting off of his cheek and realized that Shiho had slapped him. It was strong, unlike that asshole's punch from earlier, because the feelings of anger and rage were put into the attack.

He turned back to see Shiho gritting her teeth in anger and on her face was a glare that almost equaled his, only it was fuelled by strong feelings of rage that she kept within her.

"Not worth it? How dare you!" She growled, unable to take any more insults about her best friend. "You want to know why I worry about her? Why I suffer for her?" She questioned and once their eyes met, she let it out. "Because she's my best friend! And she's precious to me!"

 _Friend?_ He thought. Her reason was simply because she's her friend? That's why she doesn't want the police involved? Why she's endured the abuse all this time? It was because Takamaki is her friend?

"That's your reason?" He questioned, having recovered from the sting.

"It's the only reason I need." She brought her hand to her chest, staying true to her words. "She's my precious friend, and when someone's precious to you, it's only natural you'd want to protect them, no matter what. That's what I believe." She did her best to explain. "That's why I can't let you do this."

With that, any argument or attempt to fight back was dropped completely. Her reason was so simple, stupid, and illogical. But the emotion she put into it made it strong, strong enough to completely destroy any retort Kazuma could've come up with.

And he had no choice but to accept her decision.

She reminded him of Amamiya in a way. Once something was set, nothing could change his minds. The naive goody-goody immersed himself into this whole Kamoshida affair and he was going to see it through the whatever end it had in store. Just like him, Suzui wasn't going to change her mind. She was going to protect Ann even if it meant having to suffer.

 _So annoying_. He thought.

"Okay." He broke the silence. "I won't call the police or tell anyone."

She gave a sigh of relief, giving his phone back. "Thank you, Kazuma-kun."

"Don't thank me." He turned away from her. "I hardly did anything except give you a hard time."

"No, you're not. You're helping" She walked around him so they could face each other. "You know, you're kind of weird. I mean, you come off as this scary tough guy who looks angry all the time, but you're not like that at all."

"You don't know me, Suzui." He informed her.

"Maybe not, but I remember what you told me that day. At the train station." She brought up. "What you said, about creating special moments with my own power. It... It made me happy. Hopeful too."

"I..." He choked on his words as she smiled at him.

"The truth is, I've been wanting to talk to you ever since I saw you in class." She admitted which completely caught him off guard. "You looked so angry, a lot of people thought you were scary."

"That's fine with me." He crossed his arms, looking away.

"Well, I'm not scared of you." She told him up front. "I think... I think you're really cool, Kazuma-kun." She shyly said, blushing a little bit.

"W-What?" He was startled by her kind words. They weren't words of pity, they were genuine.

 _This girl..._ Kazuma looked as she smiled at him. Even with that bruise tainting her face, she still had the strength to smile. He couldn't believe it.

They were interrupted by the phone in the corner. Kazuma went over to answer it, wondering what it was about.

"I'm afraid your time is up." An employee told him over the phone. "Would you like an extension?"

"N-No. We're good." He responded, feeling like it was time to go.

"Very well then. Please bring your microphones and payment slip to the reception desk when you leave."

And with that, the line cut.

"Our time is up." He informed her. "Guess we should leave.

"Y-Yeah." She nodded, still a bit red-faced.

Kazuma collected the payment slip and microphones as he and Suzui left the room. They went down to the front desk to check out.

"Thank you very much." The employee bowed. "We hope to see you again."

The two gave them a nod as they left the building.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," Suzui gave a polite bow as she turned to leave.

"Suzui." Kazuma called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Um, do you mind if I walk you home?"

"Huh?" She replied, a bit stunned at the offer.

"J-Just to make sure you get home safely, okay?" He looked away, frowning. She found it a bit funny to see him get flustered.

"Hehehe. Okay." She giggled lightly, accepting his company.

Turns out, Suzui lived in an apartment complex in Shibuya. That made things easier, no additional train rides. The two walked in silence as Kazuma escorted her to her place safe and sound. Once they arrived, it was time to part ways.

"Thanks for walking me home, Kazuma-kun." She gave him her gratitude. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

As she turned to head into her apartment building, Kazuma grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"Wait." He told her.

"Huh?" She replied as she turned to face him.

"If he..." He muttered. He figured if he can't call the police, he could at least try this option. "If he tries to hurt you again. I... I want you to come find me."

"Kazuma-kun." She whispered as he offered her an alternative solution.

"Please." He was in no position to ask her this, but he had to try. "I don't want him to hurt you again. Can you do this?"

He was asking a lot, especially if Kamoshida were to call on her again for another "meeting". The last thing she wanted was put Kazuma under his radar. After all, that man was already warning students to stay away from the "problem transfer students". But she believed her classmate to be strong, strong enough that he meant what he said. That would protect her from that monster.

And so, she saw no reason to decline.

"Okay." She accepted.

"Promise?" He asked one more time.

"I promise." She nodded. With that, he let go of her.

"Alright." He finished, realizing that he'd taken too much of her time, her parents will probably wonder where she's been. Thinking about it now, Tori will probably wonder the same thing. Time to head home. "See you later, I-"

He was interrupted when Suzui rushed up and wrapped her arms around him, one around his neck, and one around his back, hugging him tightly, resting her head against his neck.

He wasn't much of a hugger. Whenever Tori hugged him, he never hugged back.

But something took hold of him as this girl, his classmate, held him close. He reached up and placed one hand on her back, patting it a little.

"Thank you." She whispered softly.

After hearing Suzui out, he vowed that Kamoshida will pay for what he'd done to her and won't stop until he's exposed and jailed. After a while, they released each other from their hug, about to part ways.

"Later, Suzui," Kazuma said as he was about to take his leave.

"Shiho." She spoke before he could walk away. "Call me Shiho."

"Shiho?" He repeated. "That your first name?"

"Yep." She nodded. "Oh, and your first name is Kei, right? Do you mind if I call you that?"

"I don't care what you call me." He told her up front. "Just leave the honorifics out of it. It's annoying."

"Okay." She accepted, giving one last smile before leaving. "See you at school tomorrow, Kei."

And with that, she entered the apartment building.

 _Kei. Been a while since anyone's called me that_. He thought.

With her home safe and sound, he left the area, heading to the train station to take a train back to Yongen-Jaya.

He thought over today's events and while it didn't go exactly as planned, it didn't matter. One thing's for sure, Kamoshida had to be stopped. There were some things he could ignore, but this wasn't one of them, especially after hearing Shiho's story.

He thought over how she came to Takamaki's defense when he called her a coward, still unable to forget her argument.

 _She's my precious friend, and when someone's precious to you, it's only natural you'd want to protect them, no matter what._ He remembered her words.

"Precious friend, huh?"

It sounded so stupid, but it was the only part of her argument that he couldn't forget.

* * *

 **The moment you've all been waiting for! Shiho Suzui joins Kazuma's confidants!**

 **It was so hard to write this part, I didn't want to make Shiho OOC, but I think I did her character justice.**

 **I hope you guys liked this, this was a moment in my fic that I had been waiting for and it'll probably be one of my favorite moments of the fic, at least so far it is.**

 **Til next time.**


	10. My First Friend

**Alright, back again with another chapter.**

 **So, for those who missed the update I uploaded a week ago, the harem elements of this fic have been dropped entirely for both Ren and Kazuma but there will be semi-harem romantic moments with other girls like hugs, cheek kisses, etc. You already know the love interests I've chosen if you look at the character tags, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy. Just like Kazuma, Ren will have what-if chapters at the end of the fic where he ends up with a different girl. This was I can include all of his love interests instead of just the select few I had originally planned.**

 **Now the last chapter according to my traffic graph was the most watched chapter of this fic. You guys really loved Kazuma and Shiho together and so do I. Thank you so much for your continued support.**

 **Update: I am aware that because most of you posted a review for the latest update that it's preventing you from posting a review for this chapter. I deeply apologize for this so from now on all updates will be in the Authors notes.**

 **Only one shoutout today. This one goes to ReallyLazyReader for their fic Persona 5: The Phantom (Not) Twins. They have been very supportive of my fic so I urge you to give their fic a read.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 10th chapter.**

* * *

Kazuma made his way back to Beauty Heights, thinking over his conversation with Shiho. To be frank, the whole plan was a failure. He had gotten what he wanted, confirmation and testimony from an actual member of the Volleyball team that the rumors about Kamoshida's abuse were true. And now that he has it, he can't do anything with it. He knew that it was pointless to persuade Shiho to make a statement to the police, she was firm in her belief that if she made any move against him, he'll target her friend.

Ann Takamaki.

That same blonde who had the nerve to warn Kazuma to stop the investigation. Even after having disgusting rumors spread about her that she was sleeping with Kamoshida along with being harassed by him almost every day, she has the gall to tell him that stopping the investigation was "for the best".

 _Idiot_. He insulted her.

But she was the reason why Shiho had endured his abuse up to this point, her sole reason for keeping quiet. All because they were "precious friends" as she put it.

 _Precious friends_. Kazuma thought over the words. Regardless of what he thought of her, Shiho cared for Ann a great deal, so much that she was willing to take a punch to the face and deal with physical abuse. She thought not of her own safety, but her friend's safety.

Seeing that kind of selflessness, it made him question why he chose solitude over companionship.

 _Because people are selfish monsters_. That was the reason and that was the truth. Human beings are selfish creatures whose natural instinct is to care for themselves and no one else. They look down on others who don't measure up to their standards and hate for no reason, simply because they don't like you.

To be friends with people like that, it made him want to gag.

And so he kept his head down and outright refused to become friends with anyone. Besides, he didn't need friends. He's survived the last two years without them.

 _Are you happy?_ At that moment, Amamiya's words rang through his head. Are you perfectly happy not having any friends?

"Shut up Amamiya." He blurted out, refusing to let that guy's words change his mind.

He entered the apartment complex, greeting Tori who sat at her desk, reading one of her novels.

"Kazzy-kun! You're back." She greeted him with a smile. "You look tired. Don't tell me they put you on cleaning duty again?"

"Sort of." He gave himself cleaning duty but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Two in a row? Sounds like your teacher's out to get you or something." Tori reiterated Sakamoto's belief.

"It's whatever." He shrugged it off.

"Well, if you say so. Just be careful and don't overwork yourself, Ok?" She asked.

"Sure." He said, walking up to his room to go to sleep.

"I put your dinner in the fridge. Heat it up for about a minute, it should be good to go!" She gave a thumbs up.

"Alright." And with that, he left his guardian back at her desk. He entered his apartment and went to the fridge, hungry after such a long day.

Once he finished his dinner, he went into his room, got changed and laid down on the bed. He let out a huge sigh, the stress of exiting his body.

Even though what happened today didn't go as plan, Kazuma planned to keep his promises as he was a man of his word. He would keep what Shiho told him a secret but hoped that she would keep their promise as well: If Kamoshida called on her again, she would come to him instead.

Their promises, sealed with a hug, lingered on in his thoughts.

He heard his phone vibrate as if to interrupt those thoughts. He pulled it out and saw that Sakamoto texting him and Amamiya on the group chat.

 **Ryuji: Guys, this don't make any damn sense. The principal and even the parents know about the abuse.**

 **Ren: It's no wonder Kamoshida hasn't been punished for the things he's done. Everyone knows and they do nothing about it.**

 **Ryuji: This is bullshit! Why ain't anybody speaking up?!**

 **Kazuma: Isn't it obvious? Mutual Gain.**

 **Ryuji: What?**

 **Kazuma: Suguru Kamoshida, the head coach of a successful Volleyball team, who also happens to be an Olympic medalist, leads his team to nationals, and you wonder why the principal and parents don't say anything? It's simple. In their minds, as long as they all gain something from it, who cares if the students and children suffer.**

 **Ryuji: People can't be that selfish!**

 **Kazuma: You underestimate just how horrible people are, Sakamoto.**

 **Ryuji: But that don't give him the right to do whatever he wants! He's beating kids up, and all they're allowed to do is endure. It's bullshit!**

 **Ren: We're not going to let it end like this Ryuji. We're going to expose him. Right, Kazuma?**

 **Kazuma: Sure.**

 **Ryuji: Anyway, I'm gonna try and find someone who knows about what's going on with Kamoshida during break tomorrow. Just watch, I ain't giving up!**

 **Ren: That's the spirit, Cap'n!**

 **Ryuji: Really, dude? Again with the pirate jokes?**

 **Ren: Had to get one in. Anyway, let's meet up in the courtyard tomorrow after school. Have a good night you guys**.

Kazuma shut off his phone, wanting to go to sleep.

As he closed his eyes, he allowed sleep to take him.

* * *

As his eyes slowly opened, Kazuma saw that he was no longer in his room nor was he in his bed. Having woken up from slumber, he looked around and saw where he was. Back in the realm between conscious and unconscious.

"This place again?" He got up from the hard floor he was sleeping on and looked around. There was no one else around, no person nor building. All that existed was this tower and Kei Kazuma himself. He walked over to the railing and looked down. Nothing, not even ground. "It really is just like last time."

"We meet again, my friend."

"Huh?!" He turned around and there he was. The Masked Man wearing the same black dress shirt, tie, and white blazer from last time. "Y-You again."

"Greetings, Kei Kazuma. I apologize if I've startled you." He gave an apologetic bow. "Tell me, have you gotten used to your Persona yet?"

"My Persona?" Kazuma questioned as to how this man has knowledge of his power.

He held out his left hand and what appeared to be a tiny version of Kazuma's Persona emitted from his palm.

"So, it was the Lord of Deception who heeded your call. A powerful Persona indeed." He said, closing his hand before crossing his arms once more. "It appears you have formed great partnerships since the last time you were here. Most impressive." The masked man held out his right hand and what appeared to be a card. Unlike the blank card that this man gave Kazuma the last time he was here, this one was different. It had what appeared to be a jester laughing very close to a cliff, accompanied by a dog at his heels. "The Fool: Innocence, Divine Inspiration, Madness, Freedom, Spontaneity, Inexperience, Chaos, and Creativity. It represents the number 0, filled with infinite potential."

"What are you...? I don't understand." The boy said as the masked man closed his hand again only to open it up once more with a different card emitting from his hand.

"The Chariot: Victory, Conquest, Self-Assertion, Self-Confidence, Control, War, and Command. A driven individual yet short-tempered or aggressive." He described.

Kazuma, while confused by why he was doing this, somewhat understood what he was doing. He was listing off Tarot cards, usually used for fortune telling and such, though why he was doing that here, he had no idea.

He finished by closing his hand before crossing his arms once more. "Through your connections with others, you awoke to the many and varied selves within you. In time, you will call upon them to assist you in times of crisis."

"I-I don't understand what you're saying." Kazuma fought back. "Look, it's Philemon, right?" He asked and received a nod from the masked man. "You claim to know me but I'm pretty sure I've never met you before in my life. Who are you, really? What do you want from me?"

"To help you." He answered.

"Help me? With what?"

"To set you back on the right path." Philemon cryptically answer. "Tragedy has torn you from your once peaceful life. You have chosen the path of a loner simply for the survival's sake. This is not who you are, Kei Kazuma. It is not what you feel deep within you."

"What do you know about me, huh?! You don't know how I feel! What I've lost!" Kazuma fought back. "I don't need anyone! I don't need these 'connections' you say I have! There's no point in befriending anyone in this sick twisted world where people care more about themselves than others! Human beings are selfish monsters! I hate them! All of them!"

Philemon kept calm, even though his guest was lashing out at him.

"If humans are selfish monsters, then tell me this, my friend." He pointed his finger in Kazuma's direction. "What are you?"

"I..." He stopped as soon as the question was asked, unable to give an answer.

"You desire solitude and would push away others to achieve it. That in itself is a selfish act. Hypocrisy does not befit you, my friend. Especially when your actions are evidence to the contrary." Philemon then clapped his hands together before spreading them apart. By doing so, he showcased the two cards he showed his guest earlier. "The Fool and The Chariot. They are bonds you have forged by opening your heart to them. Bonds that shall unlock the potential within you."

"Fool and Chariot." Kazuma repeated as he recognized those words. They were affiliated with that strange voice in his head, which appeared at some point during his interactions with his associates.

...

Associates?!

"Amamiya and Sakamoto." He said spoke of the names those cards represent. "It's them."

"Exactly." The masked man nodded.

"But, why me?" He asked.

"It's because of who and what you are," Philemon explained. "You are the Aeon. An Outsider who must forge his own story. But, you must learn to open your heart to others. By doing so, a number of paths will present themselves to you. Down each of them, you will witness the karma of those you meet."

"I..." He shook his head, not wanting to believe in anything he's saying.

"I understand your reluctance, my friend." The masked man said to try and comfort his guest. "Just remember this: Whatever path you choose, remember that the choice was yours, and no one else's."

With that, he finished. Kazuma didn't offer an argument, reply, or retort of any kind. He just kept silent as he contemplated the advice that was given to him.

While this "Philemon" hasn't explained as to how he knows him, he didn't appear to be an enemy.

And Something told him this won't his last trip to this place

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **From the self-suffused with divine love to the self-capable of demonic cruelty.**_

 _ **A new**_ **self has** _ **been born.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Thou hast** _**given** _**birth to the Arcana of Aeon that shall grant thee new power.**_

...

"That voice." Kazuma brought up as he finally understood why it sounded so familiar. "It was yours."

"I'll be looking forward to your next visit, my friend." He gave a formal bow. "Until then, farewell."

"Wait!" He reached out but fell to the ground as he suddenly felt tired. His vision began to darken until darkness overcame him.

* * *

 **4/14 - Thursday**

Following his dream visit with Philemon, Kazuma simply woke up and continued his morning routine as if it never happened. He showered, ate breakfast, and left for school. He thought of the words and advice he gave him, even though half of what he said made little sense, especially the part about gaining power by forming bonds with others.

 _Power through bonds? Sounds like something you'd see in a cheap anime_. He thought.

Leaving his apartment building, he let out a frustrated sigh at the situation he's in. Nothing has been going his way since his first day and he didn't appreciate all this annoying meddling.

 _Why can't people just leave me alone?_ He wondered.

"Kazuma."

"Hmm? He looked over his shoulder to find Amamiya outside his apartment building, waiting for him. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, who was apparently waiting for him. "Amamiya?"

"I had a feeling this was where you lived. It's the only apartment building down this road. I checked." He looked up at the sign. "Beauty Heights Apartments, huh? Nice name."

"What do you want?" Kazuma demanded, wanting to know why he was here.

"I just wanted to talk." He explained. "You were right."

"About what?" He replied.

"About trying to get testimonies. You were right, no one's going to talk to us. We need to find another way." He admitted.

"I assume you have a plan?" Kazuma believed.

"I do." The probationer nodded. "I'd like to go to the castle again after school, talk to Morgana and see if doing anything to Pink Undies will have any effect on the real Kamoshida."

"I was thinking the same thing." He said. "After all, if that place was created because of Kamoshida's distorted view of Shujin Academy, then we might be able to affect the real one by targeting his shadow-self."

"Then we have a plan." Ren smiled, glad to see he and his partner were of the same mind. "Let's get going. Don't want to be late again."

"Sure." With their talk finished, they left for school.

A few train rides later, they arrived in Aoyama, walking to Shujin. On their way, they could hear two girls talking amongst themselves.

"Did you see Mr. Kamoshida play yesterday? He was so awesome! I think I might ask for his autographs after school."

"I dunno if that's such a good idea. I hear that you shouldn't go near the P.E. faculty office. People say you can hear weird sounds, like screaming, even though no one's there."

 _Goddamn it._ Kazuma winced at their comments, knowing full well what goes on in that office.

"I don't like the sound of that," Ren commented.

"Just ignore them," Kazuma said.

As the girls kept chatting about Kamoshida, Ren and Kazuma kept walking until they reached the school gate. Once they arrived, Kazuma noticed one particular individual waiting by the gate.

It was Shiho Suzui.

 _What is she doing?_ He thought as he froze at the sight of her. Her expression appeared neutral, her eyes glued to the ground. It looks like she's waiting for someone. Takamaki maybe?

"Kazuma?" He heard Amamiya call on him, wondering why he stopped so suddenly. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." He shook his head, not wanting to get him involved in what happened between him and Shiho. Seeing that she was alone, this might be a good opportunity to find out what she's doing. "You go on ahead, I have something to take care of."

He raised an eyebrow, wondering what was so important. "Alright then. See you after school." And with that, the probationer departed.

With him gone, Kazuma turned back to his classmate, still waiting by the school gate. He approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her.

"Suzui?" He called out.

"Huh?" Upon hearing her name, she looked to see who had called out to her. "O-Oh! Kei!" She smiled at the sight of him, greeting him by his first name. "Good morning."

He noticed her bruise was still painted on her left eye, not showing any signs of healing. Looking at it now still made him frown, anger at the scumbag that gave it to her.

"What are you doing out here? Class is about to start soon. Waiting on Takamaki or something?" He asked.

"Well, no." She shook her head, still smiling. "Actually, I was waiting for you."

"Me?" He raised an eyebrow, a little confused as to why she was waiting for him.

"Mmhmm." She nodded. "I was wondering if you wanted to walk to class together?"

That's why she was waiting here? So they could walk to class together? It doesn't even take that long to get to 2-E and she waited outside of school just for that reason?

 _This girl is something else_. He admitted with a little roll of his eyes.

"Do what you want." He said, walking away from her, seeing no reason to talk any longer.

However, in spite of not giving her a 'yes' or 'no' answer, she followed after him, walking by his side as they both made their way to class.

If she was going to try and converse with him, she made no attempt to start so neither did he. Plus, he didn't really have anything to say at the moment.

As they walked to class, students were giving them looks and started to whisper to each other.

"Look at that? Suzui-san's with the transfer student in 2-E."

"Wow? I had no idea he was her type."

"Are they dating?"

 _Goddamn it_. Kazuma said in his mind. To be frank, it was his own fault for not outright refusing Suzui's request of walking to class together.

"Well, looks like we're quite the couple. Wouldn't you say, Kei?" She teased a little, giggling at the frown had at the moment.

"Hmph." He didn't make eye contact any longer, but his cheeks reddened a bit from the embarrassment.

Shiho took note of how he avoided eye contact and frowned because of it. She noticed that he would do this a lot in class. Whenever Ms. Chouno asked him a question or when Sakamoto tried to make conversation, he would always look away. What was he afraid of?

Once they reached class, they didn't say anything. They just sat down at their respective seats and waited for class to start. As more students entered the classroom, Sakamoto arrived and walked to where his seat was.

"Hey, dude." Ryuji greeted him, sitting down in his seat.

"Sakamoto." He gave a simple greeting.

"You can call me Ryuji, you know?" The spiky blonde insisted.

"What do you want, Sakamoto?" He corrected, ignoring his request to call him by his first name.

"I wanted to talk about... you know." He pointed to his phone, signaling his classmate to get on their group chat.

Kazuma pulled out his phone and waited for the conversation to start.

 **Ryuji: So about witnesses. I have an idea.**

 **Ren: What is it?**

 **Ryuji: I was wondering if we could get something outta Takamaki.**

Kazuma mentally shook his head, not like the idea of interacting with her again. Besides, it's not like she'll want to talk him anyway.

 **Ren: You really think after yesterday, she'll want to talk to us?**

 **Kazuma: Did I miss something?**

 **Ren: It's nothing. Really.**

 **Ryuji: Cmon guys, Just hear me out. You know how we didn't get a thing outta the volleyball team? I figured it'd be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them. Takamaki's BFF's with a starter.**

 **Kazuma: You mean Suzui?**

 **Ryuji: Yeah. How'd you know?**

Kazuma immediately winced as Ryuji asked him the question. He had promised Suzui he would keep what she told him a secret but it still didn't sit well with him. To keep that promise, he couldn't let Amamiya and Sakamoto find out about his association with her or their talk the other day.

 **Kazuma: Not important. What's the plan, Sakamoto?**

 **Ryuji: Well, after yesterday, I doubt she'll talk to me. Maybe you guys could try talking to her, maybe convince her to get something out of Suzui.**

 **Kazuma: I doubt she'll say anything the other volleyball members haven't already told us.**

 **Ren: I have to agree with him, Ryuji. Everyone's too afraid to speak up, if we just stick to this current plan, we'll get nowhere.**

 **Ryuji: Then what the hell do we do?!**

 **Ren: I actually have a plan of my own. Me and Kazuma talked about it earlier today. Let's talk more after school.**

 **Ryuji. Well... Alright, guys. We'll talk more after school.**

Once they finished their chat, they put their phones back in their pockets. Kazuma thought it was over and done with but apparently, Ryuji wasn't finished.

"Hey, dude. You didn't answer my question." Sakamoto brought up. "How did you know I was talking about Suzui?"

He was about to reply before he looked past him to see someone apparently eavesdropping on them. Suzui, out of the corner of her eyes, was watching and likely listening to the two talk.

She was probably worried that he would tell Ryuji about what happened the other day, especially with how pushy the blonde could be.

"Volleyball rally." He said as if to answer his question and end the conversation.

"Ah, that's how," Ryuji said, remembering how the two were sitting next to each other during the rally.

Once he was done, Ms. Chouno entered the classroom and began the lecture for the day. Kazuma rested his cheek against his hand as he began jotting down the notes his teacher wrote on the board. With this, along with the plan to revisit the castle, he knew it was going to be another long restless day.

* * *

A few hours passed, boring classes went by, but thankfully, lunchtime finally came around. Shiho pulled her lunch out of her bag and planned to meet with Ann at their usual spot. But, before she could do this, she heard Sakamoto let out a loud groan which caused her to look over to where he and Kei were seated.

"Ugh. I hate math." He said, turning to his classmate. "Dude, do you even pay attention in class? You slept through every lecture."

"Just because my eyes are closed, doesn't mean my ears don't work," Kei replied sharply.

"Uh huh." Ryuji rolled his eyes a little, grabbing his bag. "I'm gonna hit up the caf, see if I can get any information from there."

"Do what you want." He said as the spiky blonde took his leave, finally giving the boy some peace and quiet.

Or so he thought.

"There you are, Kazuma-san!" She sat down in the seat in front of her, which coincidentally is her assigned seat in class.

Shiho watched as their class rep walked over to him. Emi Matsumoto, Representative of Class 2-E and member of Shujin's Newspaper Club. Kind and friendly while being stern and strict, she embodied everything a class representative should have. Shiho didn't have a problem with her, she was always nice to her and Ann, occasionally inviting them to sit with her at lunch. Her classmates have gone on to call her "our favorite newspaper girl" or something like that. Lately, she had been fixated on the newest addition to the class, Kei Kazuma, trying to strike up a conversation with him although it was always met with silence and grunts.

"You and Sakamoto-kun seem close." She observed. "When did you two become friends?"

"He's not my friend." He said.

"Really? But you're always hanging out with him and Amamiya-kun." She brought up.

"Are you deaf? I said he's not my friend. I don't need friends." Kazuma informed her as he grabbed his bag, got up, and prepared to leave. Shiho watched as he walked away from their class rep to get away from her.

"Hey, hold on." Emi got up and hurried over to him, getting in his way. "Why are you being so mean? I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Well, your friendliness is starting to border on harassment because you keep bothering someone who just wants to be left alone." He informed her. "Now quit pestering me."

"But..." She tried but he wouldn't budge as he walked past, leaving her to ponder what he had said. It was really mean of him to say that, but she really was just trying to be nice. "I just want to talk."

Having watched and listened to everything that was said between her classmates, Shiho was confused. She knew the boy was distant and had a bit of an attitude but that was nothing like the Kei Kazuma she talked to the other day, the one who came to her rescue and promised to protect her.

It's like the Kei Kazuma she knew and the Kei Kazuma others knew who two entirely different people.

"Kei." She whispered. She had been noticing a pattern. He's rude, tends to look away from people, not wishing for eye contact, and rejects company. Why was he so opposed to having friends?

Wanting to find out more, she sent Ann a quick text telling her she wouldn't be able to make lunch. After that, she got up from her seat and went after him.

* * *

Kazuma sat down on the bench of the courtyard where the vending machines were, the same place he and the others used as their base. When he arrived, there was no one else here so he decided that this would be the best place to have his lunch. It was quiet, just the way he liked it.

He put one earphone in his ear to listen to his music before pulling out the lunch Tori had prepared for him along with a can of Mad Bull he bought from the vending machine. Opening his lunch, he found 6 Sriracha Chili Chicken Wings, an old favorite of his. He set the meal aside, opening his can of Mad Bull and took a sip.

He knew he was going to be busy soon so he'd have to relax while he could.

 _Finally peace and quiet._ Kazuma thought.

"Kei?"

 _I spoke too soon._ He groaned at the intrusion.

He looked up and saw Shiho Suzui once again, standing in front of him with her lunch in her hand, gracing him with that friendly smile she had this morning.

 _She's a lot happier today than she was yesterday_. He noticed her change in attitude as he's never seen her so cheery before from the times he had seen her.

"What is it Suzui?" He asked her, not particularly fond of the fact that his peaceful lunchtime has been interrupted.

"I believe I remember asking you to call me Shiho." She pointed out.

"I never said I was going to." He brushed her off. "Now, what do you want?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you some more." She offered. "Mind if I join you?"

"Depends. Are you going to slap me again?" He asked, not sarcastically because he really didn't want to get hit by her again. The punch he received from that loser that was picking on her the other day was nothing. Shiho Suzui on the other hand, had a mean right hook.

"Only if you give me a reason too." She replied cheekily with a wink, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Whatever. Do what you want." He moved over a bit, allowing her to join him.

"Thank you." She said, sitting down on the bench next to him.

Shiho took out her lunch and started eating. Seeing as she started, Kazuma decided to eat his as well, as he was hungry. He took a bite, and the taste of siracha overwhelmed his taste buds. He always loved spicy foods whether they were mild or insanely hot. However, it was the flavor that mattered most to him.

They stayed silent, both were probably waiting for one to start up a conversation. He glanced over at her to see her staring at him out of the corner of her eyes but looked back at her food when their eyes met.

 _This is getting awkward_. Kazuma admitted. He wasn't the best conversationalist, especially for one who doesn't desire the company of others. But this wasn't just any person, this was Shiho Suzui. His classmate, a victim of Kamoshida's abuse, a girl he rescued and promised to protect. The best thing to do here was to say something just to break the ice and the awkward silence.

"How's your eye?" He asked, noticing her bruised eye hadn't healed in the slightest.

"Huh?" She got caught off guard by his sudden question. "Oh, it's fine. Still stings a bit."

"Ice it every few hours, it'll reduce the swelling." He advised.

"Uh, sure. I'll do that." She nodded, promising to follow his advice and get an ice pack.

"Are those guys from the other day still bugging you?" He asked another question, wondering if those idiots learned their lesson.

"Nope. They won't even look at me anymore. Can't say I blame them after you put the fear of God into them." She joked, smiling fondly of the memory.

"Hmph." He looked away from her, not really caring for her teasing or her jokes.

Shiho noticed that he did it again. That same pattern. At some point during a conversation, he looks away to avoid eye contact. He did it yesterday when they spoke at Sing Sing Karaoke. He did it this morning and he's doing it again. She couldn't understand why and wanted to find out.

"Why do you do that?" She asked sadly.

"Do what?" He questioned.

"Why do you look away whenever someone tries to talk to you?" She asked again but received no answer, only a grunt. "Why are you so afraid?"

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" He wondered where she was going with this, finally turning back to face her.

"Holding a meaningful conversation with someone. You couldn't even do it with Matsumoto-san earlier and she was just being friendly to you." She pointed out how curt and rude he was with their class rep earlier. "Why are you so mean all the time? Why are you trying so hard to be alone?"

"If I want a lecture, Suzui, I'll ask for one." He told her off. "Why are you even here? Is it because you feel sorry for me or something? Or do you feel obligated because of yesterday?"

"Why do you think that?" She asked, wondering why he would assume that she's spending time with him out of pity.

He let out an annoyed sigh, turning to look her in the eyes. He wanted her to hear what he had to say. "You're a nice girl, Suzui. But, you don't need to feel obligated to be around me just because of what happened yesterday."

"What?" She was taken aback, not believing what she was hearing.

"I meant what I said yesterday. If Kamoshida tries anything, I'll protect you. I'm a man of my word." He explained as his face began to contort into a frown. "You went out of your way to wait for me by the school gate and join me for lunch but you don't have to do this anymore." And once again he looked away from her, angrily clenching his fist. "If you're being nice to me as some sort of repayment, then don't bother."

He believed after that, it would be the end. Shiho would leave him to his devices and he could have his lunch in peace. She would no longer affiliate with him unless Kamoshida made a move against her. Now that she's aware that she's under no obligation to be around him, there was no reason for her to be here any longer.

But when he looked to his side, she was still there, not having moved a bit. Her head was hunched over, her hair covering her expression so he couldn't tell what she was feeling at the moment.

"Y-You.." She whispered a bit before looking up at him, glaring right at him with a few tears in her eyes. "You're such an idiot."

"What?" He was taken off guard by words and the few droplets of tears from her eyes really hit him hard.

"If we weren't on school grounds, I really would slap you again for the crap that just came out of your mouth." She told him. "It's not like that at all. I'm not here because I owe you or something like that. I'm here because I want to talk to you. Has that ever crossed your mind?"

He didn't answer her. He just looked away, not wanting to look at her anymore, if only to spare him the sight of seeing her upset. It wasn't the first time, he remembered the other day when his words became rough, she fell backward and got scared.

"Kei." She looked at him with pleading eyes. "I know it's none of my business and you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. I mean, we barely know each other after all. But, I'd like to get to know you and if you're in pain, I want to help. I won't tell anyone, it'll be between us."

Oh no, this is what he was fearing. She was trying to pry into his personal problems just Amamiya tried to do. He turned around to tell her exactly what he had told him, but when their eyes met, he knew he couldn't. Her eyes were already stained with tears and her frown wouldn't let up. Not a frown of anger but one of genuine worry.

"If you want me to leave, just tell me and I'll never bother you again." She said before looking down at her lunch, awaiting his answer.

Even though she said that, he couldn't reject her, not like this. She was willing to tell him about her demons and trusted him, a new kid and complete stranger, with her secrets. He felt like he could trust her.

No, that's not the right word.

He WANTED to trust her.

"My parents were police detectives." Feeling like he had nothing to lose by telling her, he began which caught her interest, causing her to look up at him again. "They were the best of the best, a force to be reckoned with. There wasn't a single case they couldn't solve. After a while, people started calling them 'The Best Detectives in Tokyo'. They were so renowned that they were often asked to do interviews, appear on talk shows, sometimes they were asked for autographs."

"They sound like good people." She believed.

"They were." He nodded. "Fame wasn't what drove them, it was to help people. To put the bad guys away and help innocent people." He got the good part out of the way. Now for the hard part. "But then, two years ago, everything changed."

"What happened?" She asked, noticing his demeanor changed quite drastically.

"They had some time off from a case they were working on. They were always so buried in their work so it surprised me when they told me they had a few days off. They wanted to spend it with me and asked me if there was anywhere I wanted to go. I asked them if we could go to Dometown. So, that's what we did. We spent the whole day there, riding rides, eating junk food, it was so much fun." His hands began to shake uncontrollably which made Shiho worry. "And then it was time to go home... and... and..."

"Kei." She seemed worried as he hunched over to keep her from seeing how he was feeling. She then placed her hand on his, hoping to comfort him. "It's okay. You don't have to say anymore."

"They died." Was all he told her. At that moment, Shiho's eyes widened and let out a little gasp. "It was those breakdowns that the news won't shut up about. They both suffered one and died right in front of me."

"Oh my god." She placed a hand over her mouth to keep her own shock in check. "Kei, I'm so sorry."

"Keep your sorry, Suzui." He told her. "You wanted to know my dirty secrets, there you go. The full package."

"So that's why you're so mean to people." She believed to have figured him out. "You're scared of losing someone close to you like how you lost your family."

"What?" He asked, wondering where she came up with such a conclusion.

"You don't hate people, Kei. Not really. You're just afraid." Shiho deduced. "But it's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. It's natural to be afraid."

"I..." He tried to argue but couldn't,

"I used to be like you, you know. I usually kept to myself and I hated coming to school. But then, two great things happened. I met Ann, someone who was alone like me. I don't know if I could've gotten through my first year here if she wasn't always by my side." She confessed. "And then, I met you."

"Me?" He questioned.

"Yep. When I met you at the train station, the advice you gave me, I felt hope for the first time since coming to this school. And when you saved me from those jerks, I couldn't help but admire you." She smiled. "Hehehe, it's like you're my knight in shining armor."

"Suzui." He whispered softly. Never before has he heard someone speak so fondly of him before. It was kind of overwhelming.

"Jerk." She then flicked his forehead. "I told you to call me Shiho."

"S-Shiho." He muttered, a little nervous right now.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so emotional." She chuckled a little. "What I'm trying to say is, you can't really survive in this world without friends."

"That's not true." He said. "I'm alone. I've always been alone."

"But you're always with Sakamoto and that other transfer student." She pointed out.

"They're not my friends." He told her. "Just because you associate with someone and have conversations with them doesn't mean you're friends."

"Hmm. Is that so." She smirked a little, bringing her hand up to her chin as she started thinking. This kind of made Kazuma a little nervous as to what she's thinking about. Once she was done thinking, she gave him a smile. "Well, I guess that makes me your first friend."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, confused by what she said.

"Yep. Because unlike them, you and I share something." She grabbed his hand and brought it closer to her, interlocking her pinky with his. "Our promise, remember?"

"Promise?" He questioned. He knew what she was referring to but didn't understand how it made them friends.

"Yep. It's a promise between friends." She said. "So, like it or not, we're friends now."

 _A promise... between friends_. He thought of as the words repeated in his head. This girl really is a one of a kind. She was the most selfless and sweetest girl he's ever met. He couldn't rebuff what she had said because he knew it was true. The two of them shared something together, something he doesn't share with Amamiya or Sakamato. He couldn't deny it. It was the truth.

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **From the self-suffused with divine love to the self-capable of demonic cruelty.**_

 _ **A new** **self has** **been born.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Thou hast** **given** **birth to the Arcana of Death that shall grant thee new power.**_

...

He heard Philemon's voice again, signifying that he had forged a bond with Shiho Suzui.

"Tch!" He grumbled a little because of it but to be honest, it wasn't entirely unpleasant. In fact, it felt nice for once. "You talk too much, you know that?

"Haha, can't deny that." She laughed a little at his words before noticing something. "Hey, Kei. Do you want to exchange numbers and chat I.D.?"

"Huh?" He said, caught off guard by her request. He would need it though if he was going to protect her from Kamoshida. "S-Sure." He gave her his phone, allowing her to to put in her number and chat I.D.

"You know, I always see you wearing these earphones." She pointed out. "What kind of music do you listen to?"

"Oh, uh." He said nervously, as there are some tracks on his phone that he would prefer to keep to himself. "I pretty much listen to everything."

"Oh, cool. Mind if I listen to some?" She asked.

"Um, sure." He allowed her, praying that she won't listen to one of his tracks. She put in one earbud and put on a song.

"Oh, wow. I've never heard of this song before." She noted.

 _Oh crap_. She must be listening to one of his tracks.

"Wait. That voice." She said, stunned as the voice on this track seemed familiar. "Wait... that's you isn't it?"

"N-No. S-Shut up." He looked away, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Wow. You're a good singer." She stated. "Do you play any instruments?"

"Um, yeah. I play guitar." He nervously said without thinking.

"Really?! Kei, you have talent." Shiho told him.

"Uh, thanks." Kazuma said as she took out the earbud and gave him back his phone.

"That was really good. You have to play a song for me one day. You have too!" She insisted, a little pushy at her request.

"Um. O-Okay." He said nervously.

"Geez, Kei. I didn't think you'd be so flustered. You're as red as a tomato." She laughed which made him angrily look away.

"S-Shut up! That's your fault!" He said, turning away from her.

"Look at that." She smiled. "Looks like we have another promise together."

As if he didn't have enough promises with her. Although, he was really flattered to hear that she liked his music and he really wanted to get back into playing guitar.

"We should probably get back to class." She stood up, throwing her trash away. "Want to walk together?"

He answered her with his actions, getting up and throwing his trash away. They walked side by side on their way to class, ignoring the whispers and glances people were giving them. It didn't matter to him, he continued on as he walked to class with his...

Well... with his friend.

The one thing he didn't want, he now had. And you know what, he didn't hate it. He looked away from Shiho as a small smile formed on his face.

 _Thanks, Shiho._

* * *

 **And Shiho melts the heart of the Ice King! My god, that was beautiful. *sniff* brings a tear to my eyes really.**

 **This chapter was Kazuma-centric but the next one will be Ren-centric since we all know what happens next.**

 **Til next time.**


	11. Confessions

**I would like to first apologize to the reviewers who were unable to post a review on the last chapter because of this stupid site's rule of one review per chapter, it recognized your review as you have already reviewed the chapter due to reviewing the update that came before it. From here on out, any updates will be in the author's note, that way this won't be a problem again.**

 **I also want to point out that for the confidants in this fic, there will be no "Rank 1" or "Rank 10" listed but will have the concluding "I am thou" speeches. Also, just because a confidant has been completed doesn't mean the interactions stop.**

 **Let's start with the shoutouts. First one goes to Yossarian42 for their fic, _Hot For Teacher_. The name speaks for itself, it's an Akira/RenXKawakami fic which is one of my favorite pairings besides Akira/RenXAnn. Second goes to MarioandSonicFan19 for their fic _Huniepop_ which once again, the name speaks for itself, is a Huniepop fic. If you like that game, that's definitely the fic for you.**

 **Warning: It gets really dark at the end. If you don't think you can handle it, turn back now.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 11th chapter.**

* * *

After class had ended, Shiho went back to the courtyard where she and Kei had lunch to meet up with Ann. The blonde showed up a few minutes after to keep her company until volleyball practice started. She had a lot on her mind today, happy thoughts mostly.

She couldn't stop thinking about her time with Kei Kazuma today what went down between them.

Part of her felt guilty for opening up the wounds of his past that he didn't wish to revisit, but part of her felt happy that he trusted her enough to tell her about his personal demons. It must be hard, living without his parents. He must've been so lonely.

He tried to hide it, but when they walked to class, she saw that smile that formed on his face. It was a far cry from his usual expression, mostly having a frown whenever she saw him. She was glad to have played a part in helping him smile.

 _He should do that more._ She noted, giggling a bit about how flustered he was when she teased him. She couldn't help but push his buttons a little and felt a little proud of being the first to see this side of him.

"What's so funny?" Ann asked curiously.

"Huh?" Shiho almost forgot that Ann was with her. "I-It's nothing. Just thinking of something funny."

"Uh huh," Ann said, not really believing her. However, there were important things right now. "Shouldn't you be heading to volleyball?"

"I guess." She said, not really wanting to go to practice today.

"That bruise above your eye, is that from practice too?" She asked with concern.

"Y-Yeah." Shiho nodded. At the very least, Kei didn't tell Ann about the truth behind her black eye.

"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?" Ann questioned, concerned for her health and well-being.

"I'm Ok. Volleyball's the only thing I can do right." She said somberly. Her happy attitude was quickly withering away at the thought of attending volleyball practice later. Suddenly, she heard a ringing sound coming from Ann's pocket, likely her cell phone. "Shouldn't you take that?"

"It's probably just my part-time job. I think." Ann waved off her question. The blonde knew who it was but didn't want to answer it at the moment.

"Well, I should get going. Don't want to be late." Shiho stood up, preparing to head to volleyball practice.

"Shiho." The blonde grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving as she appeared to be more worried than usual. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"I..." She muttered a little. She felt horrible lying to Ann about how hard the last days have been, about her black eye, about... well, everything really. Then she remembered something Kei told her when they had lunch together.

 _Just because you associate with someone and have conversations with them doesn't mean you're friends._

And he was right. But, the promise between them is what cemented their friendship. She needed to make one right here right now.

"A lot's been happening, Ann. And, I know I've been worrying you. I'm sorry." Shiho said, giving her friend a small smile. "But, I think everything's going to be OK."

"Shiho..." Ann whispered, a little confused by her happy demeanor. "You know, you've been a little weird today."

"Have I?" She questioned.

"And also, where were you at lunch?" She brought up, glaring a little.

"I'm sorry, Ann. I didn't mean to ditch you. I was... well... I was with a new friend." She mentioned.

"New friend?" Ann asked, wondering who she was referring to.

"Mmhmm. He's... helped me realize some things." She said, still thinking about their earlier discussion. "I'll call you after practice and tell you about what's been going on. I promise."

Ann's eyes widened, her best friend was definitely acting weird. Shiho wasn't normally this talkative or... hopeful. It reminded her of the Shiho she met back in middle school, who was always so happy and cheerful as well as snarky and cheeky, using every opportunity to tease her. Whoever this "new friend" of hers is, they must've really done something special to bring back this side of her.

"I'll see you later, Ann." She waved goodbye before heading off to practice.

* * *

Ann stood up, watching her leave. As weird as it was, she was glad that Shiho was returning back to her old self. After she was made the starting lineup, she's been really tired and depressed lately. She knew Kamoshida was putting her and her teammates through some tough training to prepare for nationals, she didn't know if there was anything she could do to cheer her up. But, seeing her smile again and laugh again, it was a sight to see.

However, her happy thoughts quickly diminished as she heard her phone ring again. She told Shiho it was a call from her part-time job. That couldn't have been further from the truth as she answered the call.

"Yes?" She answered disgustingly.

"Hey, sexy." She heard that voice, the one that made her cringe in disgust every time she heard it, whether it was in person or on the phone. "Want to head back to my place after practice?"

"T-Today won't work. I'm... I'm not feeling so good." She came up with the best excuse she had so she could end the call. "Sorry. Bye."

She ended the call putting the cell phone in her pocket as she slumped back down onto the bench, burying her face in her hands. Every time that man tried to talk to her or called her on her cell phone, she felt gross. No matter how hard she tried, avoiding him was impossible.

"I wish he would just... disappear." She wished but the hope that he would forget about her and leave her alone was nowhere to be found.

She tried to keep her mind off of it and focus on other things. As she thought about it, there was only one other person that was on her mind.

Ren Amamiya.

She felt bad for how things ended between them the other day. She initially approached him just to have a normal conversation with him, to see if he was settling in alright. Being a subject of false rumors herself, she understood what he was going through, being misunderstood for something that's probably not even true.

Looking past all the gossip, the one that's constantly being said about him is that he assaulted someone which is the reason he's here but Ann didn't believe it. He was just so nice and polite, not to mention kind and courteous towards her.

He had apologized to her on their first day of school when their classmates began to speculate if they were dating based on their familiarity with each other. It wasn't his fault yet he apologized anyway.

Then, he offered to buy her a drink from the vending machine when she confronted him the other day as payment for letting him borrow her textbook.

And to top it off, now she's hearing that he, along with Sakamoto and that other transfer student, were asking around about Kamoshida, as if they were all on some top-secret mission to take him down or something.

She was envious of his strength and determination to actually do something about that man.

 _But, can't you help us?_ she remembered his request. _It's clear you don't like him either._

"I really wish I could." She whispered sadly.

"Hey, it's Takamaki." Ann heard someone say. Peeking through her fingers, she saw two boys talking about her. She groaned, even if she was used to this, it was still annoying.

"Rumor has it she's dating Kamoshida."

"Seriously?"

"I heard people saw them in his car together."

"You know, she seems pretty easy, huh? I heard she's been fooling around with that transfer student in 2-D. You think I'd have a chance, too?"

"C'mon dude, you can't go after Kamoshida's bitch!"

She had gotten used to people saying all sorts of slanderous lies about her but even so, whenever someone referred to her as "Kamoshida's bitch" it was the one insult she hated above all else.

"Besides, if she's hooking up with that criminal, I don't want him coming after me too."

"Don't forget about her friend, Suzui-san. I heard she's dating that other transfer student in 2-E."

 _Wait, what?_ Ann thought of in shock as they continued.

"You mean that guy with the bad attitude?"

"That's the one. I heard they were seen walking together and some said they had lunch together."

"Seriously? Damn, are all girls into bad boys or something?"

"Who knows?"

She had heard enough. Ann got up from the bench and left the area, thinking over what she had heard. Was Shiho really hanging around that guy?

"That guy." She growled in anger just thinking about that jerk.

Kei Kazuma, the other transfer student of Shujin who just so happens to be in Shiho's class.

He already came off as the rude type, having bumped into Daisuke without apologizing, but after their encounter yesterday and the words he had for her, he was probably the rudest, biggest asshole she had ever met.

Honestly, she wondered why Amamiya was hanging around a guy like that.

Then she thought of what Shiho told her earlier, that she had lunch with a 'new friend'. She referred to this new friend of hers as a 'he' so is it possible that Kei Kazuma is who she was talking about?

Despite his rude treatment towards her, he did say that the rumors about her and Kamoshida were, in his words, a "load of crap" meaning he didn't believe her to be sleeping with Kamoshida nor did he believe her to be easy.

 _What the hell is his deal?_

She asked but got no answer.

* * *

After class had ended, Ren made a stop to the bathroom first before heading to the courtyard. Walking down the steps, he started making his way towards his destination to meet up with Kazuma and Ryuji. He planned to tell the spiky blonde about his plan to visit the castle again and get more information about just how connected the shadow-self of Kamoshida is to the real one. Kazuma seemed all for the plan since he had the same idea and hoped Ryuji would be all for it too.

Once he made it down the stairs, he saw someone standing in the way of his destination. The girl known as Shiho Suzui stood in the doorway, barring his way to the courtyard. While they have never met officially, he has heard about her. She was Takamaki's best friend, Ryuji and Kazuma's classmate, and a starter on the volleyball team.

While he still planned to head back to the castle again, he may as well go talk to her while he has the chance. He walked up to her but she didn't seem to notice him as she was on her phone. It looked like she was writing out a text but to who he had no idea.

"Hmm?" She seemed to notice that there was someone in front of her so when she looked up, her eyes met Ren's. "O-Oh. I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm not in a hurry." He held up a hand to assure her before noticing her black eye. "Are you hurt?"

"Huh?" She muttered before realizing he's talking about her bruise. "Oh, i-it's nothing. Just a little bruise from practice." She gave an excuse that the probationer didn't believe in the slightest. "Hm, you don't look familiar. Could you be the transfer student from class 2-D?"

"That's right." He said, giving a polite bow. "Ren Amamiya, nice to meet you."

"L-Likewise. I'm Shiho Suzui from class 2-E." She introduced herself, a little caught off guard by his polite attitude. "Um, this might not be any of my business, but don't let the rumors get to you, OK? My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks."

 _She's talking about Takamaki_. He deduced. It appears the rumors about his blonde classmate are starting to affect her best friend as well. How could it not? He wasn't even friends with Takamaki and even he was appalled by the false rumors about her.

"Don't worry, Suzui-san." He started. "People are free to say whatever they want about me. I know who I am, all too well."

Shiho appeared stunned by his words but was glad that the rumors weren't weighing him down. He wasn't a bad person at all. If anything, he was like Ann, just someone who's misunderstood.

"I'm glad to hear it." She smiled before changing the conversation as there was something she wanted to ask him. "Say, Amamiya-kun, if you don't mind me asking, you and Kei seem close. Do you two get along?"

"Kei?" He questioned before realizing who she was talking about. "Oh, you mean Kazuma? Yeah, you could say we do."

"That's good." She replied. "He's a good guy and not at all what he makes himself out to be, he's just all bark. A really loud bark." She quipped and giggled a little as if she was remembering something.

Now, this was a little strange. It appeared that Shiho was familiar with his partner. First, she referred to him by his first name now she was expressing relief that Ren and Ryuji were getting along with him. He knew she must've had some familiarity with him as they were both classmates but this was beyond mere classmate association. It was... friendship.

"Anyway, I have to go to practice," Shiho said as she remembered she had volleyball practice. "It was nice meeting you, Amamiya-kun."

"Y-Yeah. You too, Suzui-san. Enjoy the rest of your day." He gave his farewell as she walked past him on her way to practice.

While he was curious as to how close she was with Kazuma, that could wait. Right now, he had to focus on the task at hand. He left and made his way to the courtyard.

Once he arrived, he found his companions in the courtyard, Kazuma sitting on the bench resting his cheek against his hand while Ryuji stood near the vending machines with his arms crossed, apparently agitated about something.

"Dammit. What the hell." The spiky blonde cursed.

"Something wrong?" Ren asked silently to his fellow transfer student.

"He tried to get info during lunch, he's been acting like this ever since," Kazuma informed him.

"God dammit!" Ryuji slammed his fist against the vending machine in anger. "All of 'em kept sayin' the same shit Mishima was talkin' about! Kamoshida had to have told 'em something!"

"My guess, threats of being kicked off the team. Or worse, expulsion." Ren believed.

"No shit." The spiky blonde commented. "Anyway, you said you had a plan, right?"

"Yeah, me and Kazuma talked about it this morning." The probationer explained. "Since getting testimonies is out of the question, the only option left. We'll have to go after the source."

"What? You mean, we'll have to go to Kamoshida directly?" Ryuji questioned.

"Not the real one." Kazuma intervened. "The one in the castle."

"Wait, you guys want to go back there again?" Ryuji questioned, not particularly fond of the idea of going back again so soon.

"Think about it, Ryuji. If Pink Undies is connected to the real one, maybe if we defeat him, something will happen to the real Kamoshida." Ren gave his idea.

"Wow." The spiky blonde muttered, impressed by the idea and how doing something to that other world's Kamoshida may have an impact on the real one. "I mean, I didn't think of that. But, is there any meaning to-"

"I finally found you!"

The three of them heard a familiar voice call them out, but as they looked around, there was no one around. Kazuma stood up from the bench, helping his companions look around.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Down here, Brown-Hair."

They heard the voice again and looked down to where it was coming from only to see a black cat with blue eyes approach them and hop onto the table.

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you." The cat spoke.

"That voice..." Ryuji said in awe as he realized who it belongs to

"Morgana?" Ren questioned, wondering if the cat they were looking at was the same cat from the castle.

"How dare you, up and leave me like that!" Morgana said angrily.

"The cat's talkin'?!" The spiky blonde said in shock at seeing their former companion speak in this new form of his.

"I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world!" The cat angrily explained. "It was a lot of trouble finding you three."

"Wait. You came to our world?! Does that mean you've got a phone?!" Ryuji wondered curiously.

"Ha! You don't need one when you're at my level." The cat grinned smugly.

"Quit the lying, cat. You ran after us when we left last time didn't you?" Kazuma crossed his arms. "It must've been close to us when left the castle and got dragged into the real world."

"T-That's not what... well..." The cat sighed at being figured out so easily. "Fine. That's what happened."

"That aside, why can you talk?! You're a cat!" The spiky blonde asked.

"How should I know?!" Morgana spat back.

"Tell me you guys are hearing this too." Ryuji turned to his two companions.

"Yeah." Kazuma nodded.

"Uh, Meow?" Ren questioned as if the calm down the situation but that just sparked a reaction from the spiky blonde and an annoyed glare from his partner.

"This is no time to be jokin' around!" Ryuji exclaimed to the probationer.

"You guys are having a rough time I hear. I heard you mention something about witnesses." Morgana brought up as if to change the conversation.

"That's right," Ren said, getting back to the task at hand. "We're getting nowhere in the investigation, people are too scared to speak out against Kamoshida. Me and Kazuma theorized that if we did something to Pink Undies, maybe the real Kamoshida will be affected. Is that a possibility?"

"Well, you guys are pretty close, but not close enough." Morgana playfully mocked.

"God, that condescendin' attitude! This thing's gotta be Morgana!" Ryuji spat out, easily recognizing that tone of arrogance.

"You were still doubting me?!" The cat fired back.

"Indoor voices you two, I'd rather the faculty not catch us arguing with a cat." Ren pointed out that they were getting a little loud.

"Quiet!" Kazuma shushed them as he looked over his shoulder and saw two teachers behind them talking amongst themselves.

"Ugh, we really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this?"

"I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn't you hear it?"

"Make sure you check every nook and cranny around."

Once they walked off, they breathed out a sigh of relief as they were no in the clear. It appears the faculty is aware of Morgana's presence and are searching for him.

But that was beside the point.

"Meow?" Ryuji questioned from what the teacher had said to his colleague. "Does that mean only us three can understand what you're sayin'?"

"Looks like it." The cat shrugged, even he didn't know why others couldn't hear him.

"What the hell's goin' on?" Ryuji scratched his head in frustration, all of this was becoming too overwhelming for him. "Anyways, what Ren and Kazuma suggested. Is it for real?"

"You're quite the skeptic for being an idiot," Morgana noted.

"What was that?!" Ryujji fired back, not appreciating the unnecessary insult.

"Can we take this elsewhere? We're out in the open here." Kazuma suggested.

"Yeah, good call." His classmate agreed before roughly grabbing Morgana by the neck, holding him up. "Here, one of you guys hide in your bags. It should be just small enough to fit."

"Hey!" The cat struggled in the spiky blonde's hold. "How dare you treat me like-"

"Shut up already." Kazuma intervened, grabbing the cat and stuffing him into his bag.

"Let's head to the roof, guys. It'll be quiet there." Ryuji suggested.

"Alright gang, let's go," Ren said, concluding the meeting for now as they head to the roof to continue this discussion.

* * *

Just as they were about to leave, Kazuma felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled it out to see who the text was from.

It was Shiho.

 **Shiho: Hey, Kei.**

He didn't want to delay so he walked behind the others and continued to text her secretly.

 **Kazuma: Aren't you at practice?**

 **Shiho: In the locker room, thought I'd shoot you a quick text first.**

 **Kazuma: Alright then. What is it?**

 **Shiho: Well, I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed talking to you today and I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories.**

 **Kazuma: It's fine. You did nothing wrong.**

 **Shiho: Still, opening up to me like that. It took strength, Kei. Don't forget that.**

 **Kazuma: I won't.**

Honestly, it was surprising, telling someone about his past the way he did with Shiho. But, it felt right telling her and he felt better afterward. He felt... relieved.

 **Kazuma: Do you need me to stay until you get off?**

 **Shiho: Nah, it's good. But, if you're free this Saturday, how about we hit Sing Sing Karaoke again. Only this time, we'll actually sing.**

Kazuma tensed a bit, not expecting the sudden invite. What should he do? Accept it? Reject it?

As he thought about it some more, He had to admit that Shiho's company was very refreshing and he wouldn't mind hanging out with her again.

 **Kazuma: Sure, I've got nothing planned.**

 **Shiho: Promise?**

 **Kazuma: Promise.**

 **Shiho: Will you look at that, looks like we've got another promise in the bank. Better start cashing in or you're going to start owing me. ;)**

 **Kazuma: Ha ha, very funny.**

 **Shiho: Anyway, gtg. Ttyl?**

 **Kazuma: Sure. Later.**

Once he was finished, he found himself on the rooftop with the others staring at him. He must've been texting Shiho for a while now.

"Who you texting, man?" Ryuji asked.

"Just my guardian." He lied, keeping who he was texting a secret from the others. He put down his bag and Morgana walked out of it, staring at his companions with a vile glare.

"Don't be so rough with me, you jerks!" The cat attacked.

"Enough of that!" Ryuji retorted. "You said that Ren and Kazuma's suggestion might work, right?"

"That's right." The cat nodded. "You need to attack his castle."

"What do you mean?" The spiky blonde asked for an explanation.

"That castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn't realize what happens in there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, with would naturally impact the real Kamoshida." Morgana explained.

"What would happen to him, exactly?" Ren asked.

"A Palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires." He went on further. "So, if that castle were no more..."

"His distorted desires would be erased." The probationer finished the sentence.

"He would turn into an honest man," Kazuma added.

"Precisely! You two sure pick up things fast!" The cat complimented the two transfer students.

"For real?! H-He's gonna turn good?!" Ryuji couldn't believe it. They actually had a chance to stop him! "But, hold on. Is that really gettin' back at him?

"Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart," Morgana explained. "However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes and he'll confess them himself!"

"You for real?! That's possible?!" Ryuji exclaimed excitedly, Morgana's explanation wiping away any further doubt in his mind. This was his chance, their chance, to finally put an end to Kamoshida's reign.

"And since the Palace will no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well. Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won't even be a trace of our involvement." The cat went on to explain further.

"T-That's amazing!" The spiky blonde cheered. "You are one incredible cat!"

 _This is it_. Kazuma thought. _This is the only way I can protect Shiho. I have to take this chance._

"True. Except for the cat part!" Morgana replied.

"So, how exactly do we get rid of Kamoshida's Palace?" Ren questioned.

"By stealing the Treasure held within." The cat said which only confused them

"Stealing?" Ryuji asked. He knew there would be fighting with all those shadow monsters in the castle, but now they would have to steal something?

"I'll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most valuable, secret plan, after all." Morgana said.

"This sounds like a good method, probably our only chance at taking down Kamoshida," Ren added. "But, what's the catch?"

"Catch?" The cat asked.

"We're talking about changing a man's mindset, basically the fundamentals of what makes a person a person. It can't be as easy as you make it out to be. There has to be a catch. Am I right?" He asked, his arms crossed.

"Impressive. You're a sharp one, Frizzy-Hair." Morgana stated. "Yup, there's a catch. If we erase a Palace, there's no doubt the person's distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love. Those sort of things."

"So it's not just his distorted desires that will be erased. It will be all of his desires." Ren said.

"And?" Kazuma asked for an explanation.

"If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who has shut down entirely." Morgana started before getting to the dangerous part of this method. "They may even die if they're not given proper care."

Their eyes widened upon hearing this information. Sure, what Kamoshida was doing to the volleyball team was horrible and for that, he deserves to be punished. But to kill him?

"They might die?!" Ryuji was to say something.

"Will you listen to everything I have to say first?" The cat scolded.

"Would their death be our fault?" The spiky blonde questioned, now once again having doubts about this method.

"Aren't you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?" Morgana brought up, knowing just how much Ryuji wanted to make Kamoshida pay.

"We want him to be punished for what he's done to the students here. That hasn't changed, Morgana. But you're talking about cold-blooded murder. That's crossing a line." Ren brought up

"Sheesh. I come all this way, and this is what I get. It's not like anyone will ever find out." The cat mentioned.

"That's beside the point, Morgana!" Ren exclaimed which stunned everyone as they never expected to see such anger from him. "Regardless of what Kamoshida has done, if he gets killed because we destroy his palace, that's still on us because we made it happen. I am not a killer."

"Damn right." Ryuji nodded in agreement before noticing his classmate has been silent the whole time. "Dude, you've been quiet the whole time. What do you think?"

The consequences are great, Kamoshida could end up dead, or worse. But, this was the only option they have. No one would dare to testify against him, even Shiho won't. This was the only way to get rid of him for good, the only way to protect Shiho.

And he was going to keep his promise to her.

"We should do it," Kazuma said, greatly shocking the others.

"Dude, we're talking about a guy's life here! Are you for real?!" Ryuji fired back.

"Unless either of you has a better idea on how to get rid of him, this is the only way." He replied.

"Kazuma, do you understand what you're saying?" Ren asked. "If there's even a small possibility that our actions could lead to his death, we have to take it as an absolute certainty. The risks are too great."

"Then it's a risk we have to take, Amamiya!" Kazuma yelled at him. "You heard what the cat said! Kamoshida will confess if we destroy his Palace! This is our only chance to finally stop him!"

"At the cost of possibly ending his life?!" The probationer replied.

"We have to take that chance! We're running out of time here!" He exclaimed rather angrily at Ren's persistence.

"Running out of time?" Ren said confusingly, wondering what he meant by that.

"Whoa calm down, you two." Ryuji was the one to step in and stop the argument. They backed away, taking a moment to calm down. Once they did, the spiky blonde decided to question his classmate about what he was so insistent on the plan. "Dude, you okay? When did you get so fired up?"

"It's..." He shook his head, avoiding their gaze. "It's nothing."

Ren didn't believe that as he had never seen Kazuma act this way in the time that he's known him. It was like he was in a hurry to take down Kamoshida.

"Seems like you guys need to work things out so I'll come back later. Make sure you've made your decision by then." The cat finished as he ran off. Seeing as how he was able to get past the faculty the first time to talk to them, they all believed he would be fine trying to exit.

"Man, we're gettin' all worked up for nothing! Dammit!" Ryuji kicked the ground annoyingly for his indecisiveness.

"Look, guys, I think we should sleep on this and talk about it tomorrow. I'm not saying we shouldn't go through with this method but the risks are too great. Let's just think it over and discuss it tomorrow. Sound good?." The probationer decided the best thing to do would be to take a deep breath and go over their options before deciding what to do.

"Sounds good to me." The spiky blonde agreed.

"Fine." Kazuma relented, a little annoyed but decided that rushing into this without thinking isn't the way to go.

"Alright. Let's get out of here before we get caught." Ren concluded, ending the meeting for the day.

* * *

Once the three left the rooftop, they decided to call it a day. Ryuji bid farewell to his companions and headed on home. Now that Ren and Kazuma were alone, they each struggled on what to say as their little argument made things a little tense.

"Hey, Kazuma." Ren decided to start, not liking the tension between them. "Is everything OK?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine." Kazuma said defensively.

"Are you sure? I mean, Ryuji had a point, I've never seen you so fired up before. Is Kamoshida harassing you again?" He asked, wondering that asshole was bothering Kazuma about joining the volleyball team.

"No that's not it." He shook his head, trying to come up with an excuse. "I'm just tired of all these delays. We have a way to take him down so let's just go and do it."

"You're right, we do have a way. A way that could possibly end up killing him, and if that were to happen because we weren't careful, we could have blood on our hands and I don't want that on my conscious or yours." He reasoned. "I'm not saying we dismiss it. Let's just think it over, OK?"

The boy let out an annoyed sigh, wishing things weren't so complicated. But, Amamiya had a point. He wanted to take down Kamoshida but he doesn't want the man dead. To commit such an act would be a stain on his status as a human being and as a Kazuma. The last thing he wanted was to dishonor his family's name. "Alright."

"Thank you, Kazuma. I mean it." Ren smiled, giving him a pat on the arm. "We should get going."

"You go on ahead," Kazuma told him. "I need to take a walk and clear my head."

"You sure?" He asked and he nodded. "Well, if you say so. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved goodbye before departing.

"Amamiya." He called out, halting Ren's movement as the boy approached him. "Before you go. I just wanted to answer your question."

"My question?" He raised an eyebrow, not knowing what he meant.

"On our first day, you once asked me if I was happy not having any friends. I never answered." He brought up the question he asked on their first day of school. "And well, the truth is. I'm not."

"Kazuma." Ren turned to face him as he noticed a sudden change in his partner's behavior. It wasn't the same mean and rough Kazuma he's used to dealing with. It's... something else.

"I've been a loner for so long that I'm used to it. I never really thought about whether or not I was happy with it until you asked me." He explained. "The thing is... I don't hate the idea of having friends. Rather, I'm... afraid of having friends."

"Afraid?" The probationer crossed his arms as he listened to his partner opening up to him.

"It has a lot to do with my..." He winced a little as if he were in pain. "...my parents. I don't like talking about them so back then, when you asked about them, I did get mad."

"I had a feeling it was a sensitive issue." Ren believed. "Once again, I'm sorry if I upset you that day."

"It's fine, Amamiya," Kazuma said. "I know you mean well, you're a good guy if not a tad bit annoying."

"I'll ignore that part." The probationer quipped, clutching his chest pretending to be hurt.

"I'm just not accustomed to talking about my past very much. At all, actually." He confessed. "I'm more used to taking action. Focusing on the present and the task at hand. That's just who I am. But... one day, when I'm more comfortable about it. I'll tell you everything."

"Wow." Ren was actually impressed at his partner's change in attitude and a little glad that he was starting to trust him. "Who are you and what did you do to the tough guy Kazuma I used to know?

"I'm trying to be serious here, moron." The boy huffed, looking away to hide his embarrassment.

"I'm just teasing." He smiled, holding out his hand. "I appreciate you telling me this. Thanks, Kazuma. Or... should I call you Kei now?"

"Stick with Kazuma. I prefer it." He told him before grabbing his hand, giving him a handshake.

"If you wish, but from here on out, call me Ren." He ordered.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow. Ren Amamiya." Kazuma gave his farewell.

"You too, Kei Kazuma." He watched as his partner left. Something must've happened to him today. He's never seen him like this before. He's... nicer in a way. Or rather, nice-ish.

Either way, it was a sight to see and hopes to see more of that once this Kamoshida issue was resolved.

As Ren walked away, he made his way to the train station, taking the subway to Shibuya. After arriving, he exited the subway and felt his phone vibrating. He looked to see that Ryuji was texting him but not from their group chat.

 **Ryuji: Dude, we need to talk. Do you think Kazuma was acting weird today?**

 **Ren: You could say that.**

He chose to leave out his earlier discussion with Kazuma as it was something between them.

 **Ren: Why do you ask?**

 **Ryuji: Well, I wanted to talk you about something. I've heard some people in our class talking. They're saying he's dating Suzui.**

 **Ren: What?**

 **Ryuji: I know right! But people are saying they were seen walking to class and eating lunch together! What's up with that!? I've never ONCE seen those two together!**

 _Walking to class and having lunch together?_ Ren questioned. He remembered Kazuma telling him to go on ahead to class this morning because he had something to take care of. Come to think of it, he was sure he saw Suzui by the front gate. Is it possible that she was waiting... for Kazuma?

 **Ryuji: What do you think, man?**

 **Ren: I think you're on to something. I spoke with Suzui earlier today and she asked me if me and Kazuma were getting along. She even called him by his first name.**

 **Ryuji: Seriously?! What the hell is going on here?!**

 **Ren: Well, the dating rumors are probably bogus but this must mean they've been talking. Let's not text him about this, it's been a long day. Let talk to him about it tomorrow.**

 **Ryuji: If you say so, man.**

Once the text conversation was over, Ren placed his phone in his pocket and headed to the next subway transfer. Once he arrived, he waited patiently for the train while thinking over what he had learned from Ryuji.

 _Kazuma and Suzui, huh?_ He thought it over and wondered just when did those two get acquainted. Is she the reason why Kazuma was acting so weird today? Plus, Suzui seemed happy when she spoke of him. It was like she thought of him as a friend or something. _Kazuma, what are you hiding?_

"Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I'm not feeling up to it!"

"Huh?" He heard a yell nearby and as he looked to his right, he saw someone he wasn't expecting.

Ann Takamaki.

He didn't know she took this train, not once did he ever encounter her while heading to or from school. From the looks of it, she appears to be arguing with someone over the phone.

"Wait, what?!" She exclaimed, a wave of fear coursed through her body. "That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?!"

 _Is she talking to a teacher?_ He wondered why she would be arguing with a teacher before realizing there was only one teacher she could be arguing with right now. _Kamoshida?_

"This has nothing to do with Shiho!" She yelled out.

 _It's definitely Kamoshida_. He deduced, there's no doubt that it was him that she's talking to right now.

She removed her phone away from her ear and look at it, seeing that he had hung up on her. She fell to her knees and clutched her head with her, having apparently fallen into utter despair.

"Shiho's... Starting position..." He heard her whisper.

It looked as if she were about to cry. Seeing her like this, Ren couldn't stand it, especially if it was that scumbag that upset her. If Kamoshida is the reason she's in this state, he had to do something. He approached her, keeping some distance from her so he wouldn't startle her.

"Takamaki-san?" He called out loud enough so that she could hear.

"Huh?" She then looked up and jumped up in surprise, nearly bumping him in the chin with her head. She probably wasn't expecting to run into him like this. "A-Amamiya-kun?"

"Hey." He greeted.

"W-What are you doing here?" She asked, wondering why he was here.

"I take this train to Yongen-Jaya. It's where I live." He informed her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm, um..." She muttered nervously before realizing something. "Wait. Were you listening?"

"To your phone call?" He brought up. "Not on purpose."

It wasn't his intention to eavesdrop on her, it wasn't even his intention to meet her like this. But that didn't exactly convince her as she got angry at having her privacy invaded.

"Haven't you heard of privacy?" She angrily asked.

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop on you, Takamaki-san. I swear." He tried to assure her which seemed to have worked as she backed off.

"I-I'm sorry, Amamiya-kun. I was out of line." She said apologetically. "So, how much did you hear?"

"A lot of arguing." He brought up.

"Y-Yeah. I was..." She shook her head, not wanting to get him involved. "It was nothing. Nothing at all, okay?"

"But, Takamaki-san..."

"I said it was nothing!" She screamed out at him before taking off, sprinting away from him.

"Takamaki-san!" He called out as she ran from him. Something was definitely up, she was really upset. He won't stand for this, he wasn't going to leave her while she's upset, he had to help her.

He made the decision to go after her.

He ran onto Station Square to catch her running down the steps into Shibuya Station which lead to the Underground Walkway. He followed after her and looked around to see where she could be. As he looked down the escalator, he saw her run around the corner. He ran after her, moving past pedestrians so he could catch up.

Once he rounded the corner, he caught her leaning against a green pillar. He then approached her slowly only to hear her breathe heavily, catching her breath.

"Takamaki-san?" He called to her. Once she heard his voice she turned around and glared at him before shoving him away rather roughly.

"Stop following me!" She demanded. "Just leave me alone!"

"I can't. Not when you're hurting." He argued, not wanting to leave her like this.

"W-Why?" She pleaded. "Why do you keep worrying about me, Amamiya-kun?"

"Because I know you're suffering, Takamaki-san. I can't just... ignore you." He explained by that didn't help as he broke into tears.

She started crying, tears flowing down her face at this boy's selfless care for her. He didn't move a muscle nor did he say anything, he just stood there until her tears ran dry. She could just run off again but she knew deep in her heart that she didn't want to be alone right now. She wanted... no, she needed to talk to someone. Anyone.

Shiho was busy with Volleyball and if she knew about Kamoshida's harassment, she didn't know what her best friend would do. She couldn't talk to Sakamoto, they haven't spoken in so long and after the other day, she doesn't want to talk to him at the moment.

There was only one person she could think of that would understand. The one person who's been so nice and kind to her since the first day of school. The one person who's a victim of false rumors just like her.

The one person who was lonely, just like her. And that person is standing right in front of her.

"Amamiya-kun?"

"Yes?" He replied.

"Can we... go somewhere?" She suggested but didn't know where would be a good place to talk.

"Of course we can." He smiled, nodding at her request. "I know where we can go."

He beckoned her to follow him and she did as they both left the pillar and headed towards the destination of Ren's choice.

"I don't really get you, Amamiya-kun _."_ Takamaki said quietly as she followed him. "How can you be so... nice?"

* * *

Ren led her to Central Street where they arrived at the Shibuya Diner. He led her in as the waitress took them to a booth in the far back where they could have their privacy, probably under the belief that they were a couple. Once they were seated they just ordered some water.

"You seem to know your way around," Takamaki noted.

"Well, I was tired of getting lost all the time so I decided to make myself familiar with the area, although this is my first time here." He told her. "Word is this Diner sells some really strange food items. Nostalgic Steak, Totem Pole Ice Cream, I hear some people just come here for the coffee and nothing else."

"Guilty as charged." She admitted. "I would come here all the time and order nothing but coffee. It helps me study."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow, happy she was able to talk freely with him.

"That's right. It was always me and..." She stopped for a minute as she thought of her best friend and the times she would come here with her, drink nothing but coffee and study together. Those were good times, good times that were ripped away from her.

"Takamaki-san." He whispered, saddened at seeing her upset.

"And here are your waters." The waitress arrived, setting down their drinks. "I'll be around if you need me." With a bow she took her leave.

Now it was just the two of them. Ren believed that Takamaki was holding in some immense pain, seeing her look so stressed out indicated as such. She leaned her cheek against the palm of her hand while using her other hand to draw lines on her napkin.

"Amamiya-kun. You've heard the rumors, right?" She asked. "About me and... Mr. Kamoshida." She cringed at the mere mention of his name, trying her best to hide the contempt she had for him.

"I've heard but I know they're not true." He told her which caused her to look at him. "But, I do know that he's harassing you."

"That's right." She nodded, confirming his harassment of her and very glad that he knew and believed in the truth. "That was him, on the phone. "I avoided giving him my number... for the longest time. He told me to go to his place after this. You know what that means, right?"

"My God." He gasped a little, nearly on the verge of throwing up from what he had learned.

"I..." She angrily clenched the napkin she was playing with. "If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team. I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake. I can't take it anymore."

Now he understood why she couldn't help them the other day, why she hasn't fought back against the foul rumors about her. It was all for her friend. Her best friend. Everything was to help and protect her.

"I've had enough of this. I hate him! I have to come to school every day with that asshole looking at me like I'm some doll to play with and I can't fucking take it anymore!" She exclaimed loudly as she unleashed her pain for Ren to see. "But, Shiho. She's my best friend. She's all I have left at that sorry excuse of a school!"

Hearing all this nearly broke Ren's heart. He clenched his knees in hidden anger at that man, that monster, for putting Takamaki through so much.

She didn't deserve this. Ren thought as now he was starting to cry as a tear fell from his eye.

"Tell me, what should I do?" She asked before noticing his tears. "Amamiya?"

"What should you do?" He thought it over before wiping his eyes, looking back at her. "What do you want to do Takamaki? That's the real question here."

"I... I just..." She shook her head. "I just want him to leave me alone. To just forget about me and Shiho. But, that's impossible." She confessed what she wanted before drying her eyes. "I-I'm sorry Amamiya-kun. It's not your problem anyway."

 _It is now_. He thought.

"I mean, we've barely talked before, you know?" She brought up.

"Maybe that's why you can talk to me now." He believed.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." She nodded, agreeing with him. "You're such a nice guy, Amamiya-kun. And a bit of a weirdo too."

"Oh, I'm weird?" He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, duh. Most people just ignore me." She told him.

"Everyone ignores me too. Guess we both have that in common." He stated.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Takamaki giggled a little, feeling better after letting it all out to him. "I always knew you weren't a bad guy. You never came off as the "bad boy" type."

"Really? I don't know. If anything, I'm... bad to the bone." He joked a little which seemed to have worked as she covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Pffffft." She tried but failed as she removed her hand from her mouth and just started laughing. "Hahahahaha! I-If there's anything bad about you, it's your jokes!"

"Hey! My jokes are great!" He fired back, pretending to be hurt but ultimately started laughing alongside her. Once they calmed down a bit, they both smiled.

"I haven't laughed like that in a long time. I really needed that." She said. "Thank you, Amamiya-kun."

"Anytime, Takamaki-san."

"Call me Ann." She requested, not as a classmate, but as a friend. "We're friends now, no need to be so formal."

"Heh, sounds good. But that means you have to call me Ren." He stated.

"Gladly." She nodded. "Seriously, though. I never believed in any of the rumors about you. You were so nice and kind but you seemed lonely too. Almost like you didn't belong anywhere."

"I'm used to it so it doesn't really affect me." He brushed off her concern but it didn't convince her.

"Really? Can you look me in the eye and say that again?" She dared and while he could've tried, he knew he could lie to her face.

"Heh, guess you caught me." He said. "I didn't really have any friends back in my hometown. I just kept to myself and stayed in my lane but after I was falsely accused, people started looking at me differently. I was expelled and my parents. Well, my Mother wasn't exactly fond of her son turning into a 'deranged assaulter'."

"It must've been hard. I'm so sorry, Ren." She apologized for bringing up bad memories.

"But, I'm okay now." He smiled as if to assure her. "I have friends here. Ryuji, Kazuma, and now you."

"Yeah, about your friend, Kazuma." Her happy demeanor changed in an instant at the mention of that name. "How is it that you're friends with that asshole?"

"Asshole?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering where this venom was coming from. "Did he do something to upset you?"

"You could say that." She sighed a little, wanting to push aside any contempt she may have for the other transfer student. "It was when I warned you and Sakamoto about Kamoshida. I gave him a warning too and he..." She didn't really want to remember what he said to her but thought Ren should know. "He called me weak and a coward."

"What? He said that?" Ren grew angry at what he had learned. He can't believe Kazuma would say such hurtful things to her. Just when he thought he was seeing the guy in a new light, he puts down Ann just because she was afraid.

"And you know what pisses me off the most. He... wasn't wrong." She admitted. "Kamoshida's no joke, Ren. I've seen that man have people expelled simply because he didn't like them. And to speak out against him... well..."

"That doesn't make you a coward, Ann. Kazuma's wrong." Ren assured her. "After what he's put you through, it's natural to be afraid. But, that doesn't make you a coward. It makes you a human being."

"Heh, you have a way with words, you know?" She complimented. "But, I can't really hate him if he wants to take down Kamoshida. How's that working out by the way?"

"We... we have a method that we're are going to talk about tomorrow." He said, not really wanting to divulge the castle's existence to her at the moment. "You should join us, Ann."

"Really? You think we have a chance?" She asked.

"I do. So let's take him down. Together." He offered.

"Together, huh?" Ann smiled. She didn't know what "method" he was talking about but because of him, she was starting to feel hope again. And more than anything, she wanted to believe him, especially after today. "I'd like that."

"Then it's settled. Welcome to the team, Ann." Ren said.

After hearing everything that Kamoshida has been putting Ann through, Ren promised that he will be punished, and with her help, he was certain that they will defeat him once and for all.

"Well, I should probably get going," Ann said, standing up.

"Yeah, me too," Ren said as he got up, walking with her out of the Diner.

* * *

Once they were out, Ann turned to face him with a smile.

"Oh, right! Want to exchange numbers and chat I.D.? I'm part of the 'gang' now so we should keep in contact." She offered.

"Sounds good to me." He exchanged numbers and Chat I.D. with Ann. "Sure you don't want me to walk you home?"

"Nah, it's Ok. Thanks anyway." She said. "See you in class tomorrow?"

"Count on it." He nodded.

"See ya." Ann walked away, heading on home before stopping a moment which confused Ren a bit. Suddenly, she turned around and marched on back to the probationer.

"Ann? Is something..." He was cut off as she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He was startled by the sudden attack but soon wrapped his arms around her shoulders as they both ease into a nice comforting hug.

"Thank you, Ren. Thank you." She showed her gratitude as she hugged him tightly.

"Anytime." He said.

Once they released, Ann felt her face lit up. She doesn't really know why she hugged him so suddenly but didn't regret it one bit. Once they let go, she waved goodbye.

"See ya, Ren." And with that, she left.

 _Thank you, Ren, for stopping me from making the biggest mistake of my life_. She thought as she headed on home. _I'll never forget this_.

* * *

With practice over, Shiho got dressed and left the locker room. As she walked down the hall, she pulled out her phone and checked the time. If she hurried now, she might be able to make the next train to Shibuya.

 _I still need to call Ann_. She thought, remembering that she promised to talk to her about everything.

"Suzui." She heard someone call out to her. She turned around and saw that it was Mishima. "Are you leaving?"

"What is it, Mishima-kun?" She asked, wondering what he wanted.

"Um, Mr. Kamoshida's asking for you." He informed him "He's in the P.E. faculty office."

 _N-No!_ She thought, fear coursing through her body.

"W-What did he say?" She questioned.

"I don't know." He shook his head. "Well, I have to go."

And with that, he left.

Shiho started to panic, realizing that Kamoshida was calling for her again.

 _I have to call Kei!_ She thought as she pulled out her phone and started texting.

 **Shiho: Kei! Kamoshida's call-**

She suddenly stopped texting before setting her phone down by her side. She knew what would happen if she sent that text. She knew what would happen if she disobeyed Kamoshida.

It wasn't just her starting position she could lose, but she could also lose Kei too. If Kamoshida found out that she refused his call because of him, he would most definitely target him, either by spreading false rumors about him or just outright expel him. She didn't want to lose her friend so she knew what she had to do.

She had to break her promise.

 _I'm sorry, Kei_. She said as if he was here. She deleted the text she was about to send as if it never existed.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, sending her text to the draft section and showing a new text from Ann.

 **Ann: Hey Shiho. Call me whenever you get the chance.**

"Ann..." She whimpered at the text

She steeled herself as she put her phone away and headed to the faculty office. Once she arrived, she remembered the last time she was here and prepared herself for what was in store.

"Mr. Kamoshida?" She called.

"Come in."

Once she heard him, she opened the door and closed it behind her. He was sitting in his chair, turning around to face her.

"You wanted to see me?" She brought up.

"Yes." He nodded while frowning at her. "You're still slacking off during practice. I'm really disappointed Suzui. At this rate, I'm going to have to give your position to someone else."

"N-No. Nationals are coming up, sir." She argued, not wanting to give up her position.

"I don't know what to say." He shrugged before bringing a hand to his chin, offering a suggestion. "Unless you're willing to do anything to keep it."

"I..." She didn't like where this was going but she knew she didn't want her volleyball career to end like this. "I... I am, sir."

"Well, in that case." He then gave off a smug grin, showing teeth as he stood up to his full height. He approached her slowly causing her to back up against the wall. When he saw him reach down to unbuckle his belt, she knew what he was implying.

And she was scared.

 _Kei! Help me!_

"Now." He grinned evilly. "Undress!"

* * *

 **I'm not proud of writing that last part but it had to be done.**

 **My spring break has started so I'll try to work on some more chapters for you guys. Hope you enjoy it and hoped it was worth the wait**

 **Til next time.**


	12. Broken Promises

**Back at it again with another chapter.**

 **This support for this fic is incredible, thank you all for your continuous support. It's what drives me to start writing the moment I get off class.**

 **If you've read the last chapter then you all know what's about to happen. This was probably the hardest chapter I've ever written for the fic although I probably shouldn't say that because we still have ways to go. The reason is this particular scene was really hard to stomach when I played the game so writing it out was even harder. But yeah, I did my best and I hope you guys like it.**

 **No shoutouts for this chapter.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the 12th chapter.**

* * *

After Ren arrived in Yongen-Jaya, he made his way to Leblanc. Odds are that Sojiro was waiting for him, it was getting late and since he didn't have a key to the place, the cafe owner was likely waiting for him so he can lock up and head home.

As he arrived, he prepared himself for another lecture and another possible threat of being kicked out. Once he steeled himself, he opened the door and saw said cafe owner reading a newspaper. Once the man saw that his ward had arrived, he frowned.

 _Wait for it._ Ren thought.

"You're late. Where have you been?" He asked.

"Sorry, Sakura-san. I'm still trying to find my way around the city so I got lost." He gave his excuse.

"That so?" He crossed his arm, choosing to believe him for the time being. "By the way, you haven't been hanging around any bad influences, have you?"

"Actually..." He smiled, thinking about the past couple of days. If you look past his record getting leaked, the castle, and the whole Kamoshida nonsense, the past couple of days haven't been so bad. Maybe it's because of the people he's met along the way. "I've made a couple of friends."

"Really?" The cafe owner said in surprise. "They've gotta be pretty strange to want to spend time with you."

"Well, I owe it all to my good looks and charming personality," Ren smirked, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, sure." Sojiro rolled his eyes at his ward's antics, almost used to it by now. "Just make sure you're careful who your friends are if you don't want them ruining your life."

"That won't be a problem, Sakura-san. These guys, they're the good ones." Ren spoke favorably of his friends.

"Whatever you say, kid." The cafe owner yawned, tired from waiting on his ward. "Look at the time. Seriously, think about how I feel having to stay up here waiting for you."

"Sorry, Sakura-san." He apologized before walking past him to head to his room.

"Hey, I'm leaving," Sojiro said before putting the newspaper on the counter. "In the future, try not to come back so damn late. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Ren said his goodbyes as the cafe owner left the coffee shop.

 _Hmm? No threats this time? Wow, must be my lucky day_. He shrugged before walking upstairs to his room.

Setting down his school bag, he changed into his pajamas and wrote down today's activities in the journal Sojiro provided him with. He put the journal down and then got into bed.

 _Today was a good day_. He thought.

Thinking over his talk with Ann, he felt proud that he was able to provide her comfort when she was hurting. That girl was holding a lot in and with no one to talk to, he was glad she was able to open up to him and let out some of that pain. She seemed a lot happier because of it. Maybe because now she knows that she's not alone anymore.

Suddenly, he felt his phone ring. He pulled it out and saw that it was a text from Ann.

 **Ann: Hey, Ren. You still awake?**

He sat on the bed, replying to her text.

 **Ren: Yeppers. What's up?**

 **Ann: I wanted to thank you again for today. It really meant a lot to me, being able to talk to you about everything. I feel so much better now.**

 **Ren: I'm glad I was able to help.**

 **Ann: The truth is, I've never really had anyone I could count on. I've always had Shiho but, there was no one else I could confide in. But, I feel like I can confide in you.**

 **Ren: Absolutely you can. After all, what are friends for? :D**

 **Ann: Friends, huh? I like the sound of that.**

Ren smiled, she was definitely feeling a lot better. But more than anything, he was glad to have forged a strong friendship with her

 **Ann: Well, I should be heading to bed. See you tomorrow?**

 **Ren: Yeah. Goodnight Ann.**

 **Ann: Night.**

Once their text conversation was over, Ren set his alarm clock on his phone and placed it in his pocket before going to bed.

 _I promise Ann, we will stop him_. He vowed. _Together._

* * *

 **4/15 - Friday**

As the two transfer students walked to school together, they found it difficult to start a conversation. Ren was still a bit miffed after learning what Kazuma had said to Ann, to hear that he called her weak simply for being afraid. He was definitely going to talk to him about it after school, he would have to since Ann would be helping them.

As for Kazuma, he found it a bit difficult to look Ren in the eye after their little talk the other day. It was mainly from embarrassment as he himself never expected to get so emotional. Then again, this was all Shiho's fault. Since meeting her, he had been rethinking why he chose the path of a loner and why he tried so hard to be alone. He thought he had it all figured out, but since meeting her, he didn't know what to think. In fact, he was starting to think differently now.

Speaking of Shiho, something was definitely off. He hadn't heard from her since yesterday, despite her last message to him saying they would talk again later. He pulled out his phone and checked but there were no new text messages from her.

He would shoot her a text himself, but he decided against it seeing as he would see her again at school. He decided to spend the rest of the time walking listening to his music. He put in his earphones and cranked up the music without a care. They had their method, it was only a matter of time before they utilized it and finally get rid of Kamoshida.

As the two kept walking, Ren, who was still capable of hearing, listened in on two 1st-year girls talking amongst themselves.

"I can't believe Suzui-senpai missed such an important meeting. I wonder what happened."

"Oh, you didn't know? Mr. Kamoshida asked to see her."

 _Wait, what?_ Ren frowned at what he heard. _Why did Kamoshida ask for Suzui?_

"You know, I've been hearing rumors that Suzui-san is dating that transfer student in 2-E. You think... she dumped him for Mr. Kamoshida?"

"Ugh, for real. As if this school didn't have enough sluts polluting it, with that skank Takamaki and all."

"Seriously."

Ren ignored the two ignorant girls who knew nothing of his classmate. Kazuma was right, the best thing to do is ignore them. Once they arrived, they went their separate ways with Ren heading to 2-D and Kazuma heading to 2-E. Once he was seated, all he could think about was what those 1st-years were talking about.

 _I wonder if Ann knows about this._

* * *

As Kazuma arrived at his class, he looked inside to see that Shiho hadn't arrived yet. He looked back out into the hallway and saw that she was nowhere in sight.

 _Is she absent?_ He wondered.

"Yo, Kazuma." He heard Ryuji call out to him as the spiky blonde approached him.

"Sakamoto."

"You ever gonna call me Ryuji, man?" He groaned a little as his classmate was still on a last name basis with him.

"Have you see Shiho?" Kazuma asked.

"Suzui? No, why?" The spiky blonde wondered.

"So, you didn't see her on your way here?" Kazuma asked again.

"No, dude. I didn't see her. Why? What are you so..." Ryuji's eyes widened as if he realized why his classmate was so concerned for Shiho. "Wait, so it's true?!"

"Is what true?" The boy crossed his arms impatiently, not liking the change in conversation.

"You and Suzui! People are saying you two are dating!" Ryuji brought up.

 _Oh, that crap_. He rolled his eyes at those stupid rumors being brought up, having heard people speculate his relationship with Shiho when they first walked to class together yesterday.

"So are you..."

"Not important. Just never mind." Kazuma ends the talk as he walked into the classroom and took his seat. She was probably just absent or something, nothing to worked up over.

 _Still, why do I have this bad feeling?_ He wondered.

* * *

She had been watching from afar as her classmates kept pouring into the classroom, one by one until she had spotted her classmate, her newest friend, Kei Kazuma standing at the doorway, looking into the classroom and then back out in the hallway for her whereabouts before asking Sakamoto if he had seen her.

He had been thinking of her. He was worried about her.

She didn't want him to see her. Not like this. That's why she chose to hide. Away from him and Ann.

 _At least I got to see him. One. Last. Time._

One last time before it's over.

She then turned and walked up the stairs, heading to the roof to do what she came to school to do.

To escape.

* * *

Ren sat down in his seat as he waited for class to start. He had arrived a little early so students were still coming in. After being "late" on the first day, he made a point to come to school early, as if to assure Sojiro that he's taking school seriously.

As he waited, the one classmate he was happy to see walked in. Ann Takamaki, who walked over to her seat.

And seeing her greet him with a smile meant that their talk the other day really lifted her spirits.

"Good morning, Ren." She greeted.

"Good morning, Ann." He replied. "How are you?"

"I'm a lot better now, thanks to you." She sat down in her seat. "Kamoshida hasn't texted or called me since yesterday. In fact, he wouldn't even look at me this morning."

"That's a good thing, isn't it," Ren asked, glad that asshole was leaving her alone for the time being.

"Yeah, it is. But, um..." She muttered as she appeared to be worried about something. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What's up?" He questioned. The blonde looked around and leaned in close so only he could hear her.

"The other day, Shiho told me she would call me but I haven't heard from her since. She hasn't accepted my calls or replied to any of my texts. I'm worried something may have happened to her." She brought up which definitely got Ren's attention.

 _It might have something to do with what I heard this morning_. Ren deduced. He's had this bad feeling in his stomach ever since he heard those 1st-years talk about how Suzui missed an important meeting because Kamoshida had called for her.

"Did you see her at all this morning?" He asked.

"No, I didn't." She said. "What should I do?"

"Well, don't freak out, okay? Maybe she's sick or something and is simply taking the day off." He tried to assure her.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She said as that seemed to have done the trick. "Jeez, I'm getting so worked up. Sorry about that."

"Don't be, she's your friend." He smiled.

Once Kawakami walked in, class was about to start.

"We'll talk about... you know, after school. OK?" He whispered to her and she responded with a nod.

While Ren knew he was going to face opposition from Ryuji and Kazuma for getting her involved, they would have to get over it. Because she was apart of this now.

* * *

As classes went by, Kazuma listened in on the lectures while Ryuji was on the verge of unconsciousness as the lecture greatly bored him. He looked over and saw that Kazuma's eyes were half-closed as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. However, the spiky blonde noticed that he was making a weird typing motion with his fingers as the lecture continued although he had no idea why.

Figuring that he wasn't going to get anything out of this lecture, Ryuji let out a quiet yawn before falling asleep.

As for Kazuma, much like Ryuji, the lecture was quite a bore. That coupled with this strange lingering dread he was feeling made it hard to pay attention. But he struggled to stay awake so he could input all the information into his brain.

"So, let's say you have two terms. 5x+4x. These are considered like terms. Whenever you have like terms, you're allowed to add the coefficients. 5+4 is 9 so 5x+4x=9x." Ms. Usami continued the lecture. "Now, let's see if you have another expression. 3x+-"

Suddenly, cutting of Ms. Usami in the middle of her lecture, the door to the classroom flew open.

"Yo, everyone!" A student popped his head in and yelled out to everyone. "Some girl on the roof's about to jump!"

As soon as that bit of news hit everyone's ears people started questing what the student had said while Ms. Usami trying to shush the class.

"Everyone quiet down now!" She tried but to no avail.

"Someone's about to jump!?" Emi exclaimed, worried as she jumped out of her seat and ran out of the classroom.

Kazuma had similar feelings as he got up from his seat along and followed after her. The constant noise and chatter caused Ryuji to awake from his slumber.

"Whoa, what's going?!" The spiky blonde exclaimed, wondering what the commotion was all about.

Kazuma didn't answer as he followed Emi out of the classroom to see who this student was that was on the rooftop. The feeling of dread he had earlier started to increase with every footstep.

Once he exited the classroom and looked out the window, his eyes widened at who was on the roof. Now that feeling of dread turned into horror as he recognized the individual who stood at the edge of the rooftop.

"Oh my god."

* * *

While Mr. Ushimura continued his lecture, Ren's thoughts were on other things. While he knew after school he would be telling Ryuji and Kazuma that Ann would be helping them, he knew he would face strong opposition from them but that wasn't the issue. The issue was whether or not to accept Morgana's method, in which case Ann's inclusion into their little investigation gang would be more difficult. No way was he going to take her to the castle, without a Persona, she could get hurt, or worse.

The risks Morgana's method posed were too great, the possibility that Kamoshida might die being the main one.

He thought over all the possibilities and the truth is, they were out of legal options.

"So, I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches of our government." Mr. Ushimura continued the lecture. "The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable."

 _Basic social studies_. Ren thought.

"Have you made up your mind?"

"Wha?!" Ren screamed out but was able to shut himself up just in the nick of time as Morgana popped out of his cubby, startling him greatly.

"No matter how much thinking you do, there's only one option. You'd be better off just listening to me." He said matter-of-factly.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, Morgana!" Ren kept his eyes on the Mr. Ushimura but kept his voice low so no one around could hear him. "Why are you in my cubby?"

"I snuck in a while ago." The cat said. "So, you in or out?"

"I'm..."

"Hm? Did I just hear a cat just now?" Mr. Ushimura stopped the lecture as he heard what appeared to be "meows" coming from his classroom. The students looked around but couldn't find any cat.

"Oh! U-Uh, Meow!" Morgana panicked.

 _That doesn't help_. Ren complained as he kept quiet.

"Could that rumored cat be somewhere nearby?" The teacher questioned. Because of his comment, the students started talking amongst themselves which greatly irritated him. "Settle down! We're in the middle of an important lecture!"

 _Yeah, important_. Ren rolled his eyes before looking down at Morgana.

"Did you forget that only me, Ryuji and Kazuma can understand you. Keep your voice down." He demanded.

"Well, excuse me for trying to make friendly conversation." The cat said sarcastically.

Before the lecture could continue, one of the students by the door stood up as he saw something out the window that caught his attention.

"Hey, what's that?!" The student wondered.

"Enough! This is a classroom!" Mr. Ushimura exclaimed, annoyed by the interruption.

"Wait!" The girl behind the student stood up as she noticed what he was seeing. "She's going to jump!"

 _Going to jump?!_ Ren didn't like the sound of that at all as he stood up, wondering just what was going on.

"Suzui?!" He heard Mishima say as the boy stood up, looking out the window.

"Shiho?!" Ann immediately got up from her desk after hearing the boy's words. She looked back at Ren who nodded and the two ran for the door.

"Hey! Stay in your seats! Do not step foot outside of this room!" The teacher ordered the two but they ignored him. The rest of the students got up from their desks and left to see what was going on.

As soon as Ren and Ann ran out of the classroom, the windows were already crowded by students from 2-E. As Ann pushed a student aside, allowing for both her and Ren to look out, the probationer heard someone close to him say something about what's going on.

"Oh my god."

He looked and saw that Kazuma was there, eyes glued to the outside as his face was etched in horror. Ren looked outside as well and saw that Mishima was correct.

It was Shiho Suzui, standing on the edge of the roof.

"Shiho..." Ann whispered, inwardly begging her not to do what it looks like she's about to do.

"W-What the hell is she doing?!" Kazuma exclaimed loudly as he slammed his hand against the window.

* * *

Shiho stood at the edge of the roof, her escape was there, all she had to do was take one more step and it would be all over.

She closed her eyes as she took that last step. Her final step.

Ann. Kei. I'm sorry.

And with that, she leaped from the edge.

* * *

At that moment, the only thing anyone could do was watch.

"NO!" Kazuma yelled out in horror as he watched Shiho fall, and as she hit the ground, he clenched his eyes shut from the horror. He thought if he opened his eyes, it would be just a bad dream.

But as he opened his eyes, it wasn't a dream at all.

It was a nightmare.

"Oh my god!" Ren exclaimed loudly, horrified by what he had witnessed.

"No... Why..." Ann wasn't any better as she saw her best friend attempt suicide

Suicide.

Her eyes widened in horror at that truth.

"Shiho!" She screamed out before running toward the courtyard, bumping into Ren along the way.

"No! Shiho no!" Kazuma refused to accept this! He refused to accept that Shiho would do something like this! It didn't make any sense! "NO!" And with that, he ran towards the courtyard.

"Whoa, what's going on?!" Ryuji ran out of the classroom as he heard the screams of Takamaki and his classmate. He looked out the window and once he saw Shiho's motionless body on the ground, he nearly fell back in horror. "What the eff!"

"Ryuji!" Ren got his friend back into focus. "We need to go! Now!"

"R-Right!" The spiky blonde agreed. "We should head to the courtyard too!"

Ren and Ryuji then ran past the group of students, down the stairs to the third-year hallway.

Once they made it, they saw that a bunch of students were crowded around the usual entrance to the courtyard so they took another route here it was least crowded. The two pushed their way through the cord of students as they fought to make it past them.

"Lemme though!" Ryuji demanded.

Soon enough, after a lot of pushing and shoving, they arrived at the practice building. The rounded the corner and found themselves in the courtyard.

Once they made it, they pushed their way through more students to see what was going on. They saw that an ambulance had already arrived and Shiho was placed on a stretcher.

"C-Class is still in session!" One of the teacher in the vicinity started to panic.

Ryuji looked around and was disgusted by the fact that some of the students were actually taking pictures!

"What the hell's wrong with these people?!" The spiky blonde couldn't believe how inconsiderate everyone was being.

"We need someone to go with her. Are there any teachers around?!" One of the medics asked

"I-I'm not in charge of her class though." One of the teacher's said.

"We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa." Another teacher suggested.

Ren couldn't help but feel utterly appaled by the fact that none of the teachers were willing to go with Suzui-san. She was a student for christ's sake!

"I'll go!" He watched as Ann pushed her way to the front and volunteered.

"Please hurry!" The medic insisted.

* * *

Ann immediately ran to Shiho's side. She was alive but badly hurt.

Ann tried her best to keep the tears in check. Seeing her like this was worse than seeing her fall.

"Shiho... Why?" She pleaded, wanting to know why she would do something like this.

"Ann?" She opened her eyes and saw her best friend looking at her with such pain and despair in her eyes. She started to cry at the sight. "I'm sorry. I... I can't take this... anymore."

"Shiho?" Her eyes widened by what she said.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Suddenly a scream of anguish was heard as the blonde looked over and saw Kei Kazuma roughly push students out of his way and sprint over to the other side of Shiho, falling down to his knees as he took his place at her side.

"Shiho!" He exclaimed, having finally reached her through that large crowd.

"K-Kei?" Shiho looked over and saw her classmate and newest friend on her right.

"What did you do?!" He demanded, his voice mixed with pain and horror. "What did you do?!"

"Kei. You came." She whispered.

"W-Why?" He questioned, wanting to know what compelled her to do this. "Why would you do this?!"

"I-I'm sorry." She apologized and started to cry again, tears rolling down her face. "But, I-I couldn't let him h-hurt you too."

"Him?" Ann looked on in shock at what she had said.

"It was Kamoshida?! It was him?!" He shook his head angrily, still not able to understand. "Why?! I promised I would protect you!"

"Protect?" Ann heard him say and wondered when he made such a promise to her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Kei." Shiho offered one final apology. "I-I guess we won't be able to f-fulfill our promises to each... other..." With those final words, she closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness

"No. No." Kazuma muttered as he used all of his strength to keep himself from breaking down but it was waning as the pain was too much. "No. Don't do this." He begged and pleaded for her to wake up, to talk, to show any sign that she was okay. "Open your eyes, Shiho!"

She couldn't, because she can't hear him anymore.

The medics lifted the unconscious Shiho Suzui into the ambulance and Ann followed after, still reeling from what she had witnessed between her and Kei Kazuma.

As for Kazuma, he sat there clenching his fist in utter rage from what he had learned. It was Kamoshida, he hurt her again and he wasn't able to stop it from happening again.

He wasn't able to keep his promise.

"Damn it!" He slammed his fist into the ground. "Not again. Not again." Kazuma whimpered to himself.

* * *

Ren and Ryuji had watched the whole thing from the crowd, both equally stunned by the sight.

"Kazuma..." Ren said, unable to imagine how he was feeling at the moment.

"Ren, did you hear?" Ryuji asked him.

"Yeah." He frowned, knowing just who was behind all of this.

Suguru Kamoshida.

"Return to your classrooms at once!" One of the teachers tried to maintain order.

Ren looked around the crowd before his eyes met with Mishima, his class rep. Once the boy saw that the probationer was looking at him, he ran away in fear.

"Ryuji." He pointed to the fleeing student.

"I saw him." The spiky blonde said as he along with Ren ran after the boy. "We're gonna make him talk this time!"

And with that, the two boys chased after the 2-D class rep as this was far from over.

* * *

Kazuma looked up at just the right moment and saw Ren and Ryuji chasing after who he knew was behind this.

"Mishima." He growled, knowing full well that he did it again.

He got up and ran after them, no way in hell was he letting him get away.

* * *

Ryuji wasn't a former track runner for nothing. He caught up to Mishima and began dragging him somewhere private, away from prying ears. They took him a storage closet that was empty. Once they were inside, Ren shut the door as Ryuji slammed the poor boy against a wall.

"Ow!" Mishima yelped in pain. "That hurts!"

"Why'd you run like that? Huh?!" Ryuji wasn't pulling any punches anymore. He demanded answers and he was going to get them

"I didn't run." He tried to come up with an excuse but that just angered the spiky blonde even more as he slammed his fist against the nearby locker, startling him

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!" He yelled out as if the boy forgot.

"L-Leave me alone," Mishima begged.

"You need to tell us what happened Mishima, right now," Ren demanded as well. "This is serious. Please, just tell us what..."

Suddenly, the door flew open. The boys looked to see if it was a teacher. It wasn't. It was much worse.

Kei Kazuma entered the room, slamming the door shut as he glared holes into Mishima.

"Get away from him!" He demanded as he walked over to the boy.

"Kazuma." Ren got in his way. "Calm down. We-"

He didn't finish his sentence as he was pushed to the side rather roughly by his fellow transfer student

Once Kazuma was close enough, Mishima started to shake as he was scared that he was going to hurt him.

"Tell me the truth." He started. "Did you do it again?"

"Again?" Ryuji questioned.

"I-I don't..."

Kazuma wasn't going to hear excuses and him trying to come up with one nearly set him off. He then slammed his elbow directly into Mishima's neck, pinning him roughly against the wall, causing him immense pain and cutting off his breathing.

"GAH!"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you did it again or I swear I'm going to break your neck you cowardly piece of crap!" Kazuma threatened.

Mishima clawed at his elbow, gasping for air as he wasn't able to breathe properly.

"Dude, get off him!" Sakamoto tried to pull him off but he was pushed off.

"Kazuma stop it!" Ren got up and along with Ryuji, pulled their companion off of the boy as Mishima fell to the ground, finally able to breathe again.

"Tell the truth!" He demanded. "Tell me you did it again!"

"Kazuma! I said stop it!" Ren demanded as he and Ryuji used both of their strengths to restrain him.

"YES! I DID!" Mishima cried out. Unable to take this anymore, he yelled out what Kazuma wanted to hear. "I... I did it again."

"What?" Once the boy confessed, Ren released his fellow transfer student but stood in front of him in case he tried attacking the class rep again. "You did what again?"

"I... I..." The boy muttered, nearly on the verge of death, from the pain caused by Kazuma's attack and the overwhelming guilt plaguing his heart.

"We ain't tryin' to get you busted. We won't say you talked either." Ryuji pleaded one last time, hoping the boy will finally tell them the truth.

"Suzui," Mishima muttered her name as the guilt was too much. He finally decided to let it out all. The whole truth. "She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!

"Wait, what?!" Sakamoto said in shock at the sudden revelation.

"So you did do it again, just like you did 3 days ago!" Kazuma called out. "You told her to go to his office!"

"W-What? B-But, how did you...?" The boy wondered how he could've known this before the transfer student grabbed him by his shirt and shoved him into the wall.

"Because I saw you, you idiot! I saw everything and I heard what he did to her! He punched her! How do you think she got that black eye?!" He revealed to the boy and inadvertently, to his companions.

"What?" Ren's eyes widened at his fellow transfer student's knowledge.

"Y-You knew all this?!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Y-Yes, I know." Kazuma didn't see the point in hiding it any longer. "Kamoshida calls people to his office for 'special coaching' when really, he's abusing them to let out his frustrations."

The words hit Ren like a drum. "Special..."

"...Coaching!" The spiky blonde finished the sentence as his anger grew.

"Y-Yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything." Mishima brought up. "Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been... worse than usual."

"Worse?" Kazuma questioned. "Worse how?"

"He... He... and Suzui... they... must have..." He didn't want to say it but everyone understood what he was implying.

"Oh my god." Ren gasped as he understood what he was saying.

"No..." Kazuma shook his head, not wanting to believe it. "No..."

"He didn't..." But Ryuji understood and that was the final straw. With what he had learned, he wasn't going to ignore this anymore. Kamoshida was going to pay! "That son of a bitch!" And then he ran out the door.

"Ryuji!" Ren called out, having an idea of what he was going to do. He looked over at Kazuma and the two nodded, leaving the storage closet and heading out with Mishima following after them.

* * *

Ryuji stormed out of the closet and ran in the direction of the practice room. They all knew he was going to confront Kamoshida so they ran after him. Once they arrived they rounded the corner and entered the P.E. coach's office with the spiky blonde already there, glaring at the man in utter rage who seemed unaware of his visitors.

"Hmm?" He turned around and saw four uninvited guests in his office.

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl?!" Ryuji accused.

"What are you talking about, Sakamoto?" Kamoshida replied in disbelief. "If you don't mind, I have..."

Ryuji didn't come here for excuses as he kicked the nearby chair over.

"Don't play dumb with me!" The angry blonde exclaimed.

"That is enough!" Kamoshida yelled out, the boys succeeding in getting his attention.

"W-What you did... wasn't coaching!" Mishima muttered.

"Oh? What did you say?" The P.E. coach glared at the boy's accusations.

"You ordered me to call Suzui here." He finished, finally honest about what the man made him do. "I can only imagine what you did to her."

Kamoshida stood up from his chair and face the four, arms crossed, and a hateful glare directed at each of them.

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of." He brought up. "Basically, you're making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?"

"That's not what this is about!" Mishima fired back.

"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking. What can you do?" Kamoshida mocked. "We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim. How would someone like that make a statement?" Everyone's eyes widened at the news. "There's no chance of her getting better, I hear. The poor girl."

"No. Shiho." Kazuma whimpered at the news on his friend's condition.

"You goddamn...!" Ryuji had enough of this man's smug attitude.

"This again?" The coach complained. "Does this mean we need to have to have yet another case of "self-defense"?"

"You shut your mouth you son of a bitch!" The spiky blonde yelled as he clenched his fist and threw a punch. Ren reached out and caught it just in time, keeping him from harming the scumbag. "Why're you stoppin' me?!"

"Don't let him get to you, Ryuji!" Ren exclaimed. "He's still a teacher!"

"But still!" Ryuji released himself from his friend's grasp, not wanting this man to get away with what he's done.

"Oh? You're stopping him? What a surprise." Kamoshida chuckled. "There's no need to hold back. Why not attack me? That's what you do, isn't Amamiya-san?"

"You don't know me, scumbag." Ren fired back.

"You're not going to get away with this, you monster," Kazuma called out which got the coach's attention. "Shiho told me everything. How you call people to your office, abuse them for petty reasons and I know it was you who gave her that black eye. It's over. You're finished."

"Oh, is that so?" Kamoshida questioned, finding these accusations amusing. "And, do you have any proof of this?"

"I was here, 3 days ago!" Kazuma angrily explained. "I heard you yell at her about her leg injury, then you punched her in the face! I heard everything!"

"Did you? Or are you just making it all up?" The coach approached the boy, looking down on him for his accusations. "Because who do you think the police will believe? An honest teacher or a filthy truant."

"Tch." He didn't want to admit it, but he had a point. No one would believe him and such accusations wouldn't hold up in a court of law without physical evidence. It's just as he said, everyone would just think he's making it all up.

"I'm really disappointed in you, Kazuma-san. I offered you a chance to try out for the volleyball team and instead, you chose to affiliate with worthless trash like them." He pointed to Ren and Ryuji. "I could've made you a star. I would've wiped away that disgusting attendance record from your last school too. You think any college will accept you with the number of absences you have? I'm sure your parents would be ashamed."

"You don't get to talk about my family," Kazuma growled. "I swear, you'll get yours soon enough."

"Ha! We'll see about that." With that final say, Kamoshida returned to his desk as he made an announcement. "Everyone present right now will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

Everyone took a step back at what he had just announced.

"Wha-" Ryuji gasped.

"You can't make a decision like that!" Mishima argued.

"Who would seriously consider what good for nothing wastes of life like you say?" The coach fired back. "You threatened me too, Mishima, so you're just as responsible."

"No, I didn't! I..."

"To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team." He scoffed before exposing a little secret of his. "You act like you're the victim, but you leaked Amamiya-san's criminal record, didn't you? It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible."

With that new bit of info, Ren, Ryuji, and Kazuma turned to the boy as they now realized how the students at this school came to learn about Ren's record.

"Mishima?" The spike blonde questioned.

"It was you," Ren whispered, not wanting to believe it.

"He told me to do it." Mishima reasoned, his knees feeling weak. "I-I had no choice, he said he would kick me off the team."

"You did have a choice! You could've said no!" Kazuma yelled at him. "You're a coward, Mishima! All the bad rumors people are making about Amamiya are all because you were too weak to stand up for yourself! That's on you!"

"I know!" The boy clutched his head, knowing just how much pain he put Ren thought by releasing his record.

"Hahahahaha!" Kamoshida laughed at how pathetic the boy was. "Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled." He finished with one last statement. "You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight."

That was it, their fates were set. Because they opposed him, because they stood up to him, they were set for expulsion.

"Cmon guys, let's get out of here." Ren guided the others out of the coach's office, leaving a laughing Kamoshida behind. Once they were in the hallway, Ryuji slammed his fist against the wall.

"I can't believe that asshole's gettin' away with this!" The spiky blonde yelled out.

"We're not giving up Ryuji. We can't." Ren tried to give him hope but Ryuji was close to believing that they had lost.

"We still have "that" method after all." Kazuma brought up.

"Huh?" Ryuji questioned before realizing what he was talking about. "Oh, that!"

"Any objections, Ren?" He crossed his arms, using this opportunity to address his fellow transfer student by his first name.

"At this point. No." He shook his head, knowing that they had no other choice.

Mishima was confused by what they were referring too but chose not to interfere. They parted ways and returned to their respective classrooms to finish the day as their mission was far from over.

Kamoshida hasn't won yet.

* * *

Classes went by normally although the students paid little attention to the lectures as they were all talking about Shiho's suicide attempt. However, most were more concerned if this event would stain the school's rep to the point where their college applications might be affected.

Once school had concluded for the day, the three soon-to-be-expelled Persona-Users met in the courtyard, with Morgana waiting for them. Once they arrived, Ryuji got right to the point.

"We can't waste any time." He said, slamming his fist against the nearby vending machine. "We gotta hurry up and go to that world and beat the shit outta that asshole!

"We're not beating him up. We're simply stealing his distorted desires." Morgana interjected. "Can I assume that you've made up your minds about this? About how he might suffer a mental shutdown?"

"Damn right." Ryuji nodded. "Someone almost died because of him. I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore."

"And you?" The cat turned to the probationer.

"We're not going to let him get away with this," Ren stated. "Let's do it."

"And you, Brown-Hair?" Morgana asked the other transfer student who had been silent this whole time.

He didn't answer, his mind was elsewhere as he thought over what he learned from Kamoshida. Shiho was in a coma, her chances of recovery were low. He couldn't help but think of the worst possible scenario. If she dies...

He clenched his fist at the thought, trying to hold back how badly he was hurting.

"Kazuma?" Ren approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder which snapped him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I'm fine." He shook his head, shrugging off his concern.

No, he wasn't. After what he saw earlier, seeing him rush to Suzui's side like that, there was no way he was fine. He was suffering as if he was blaming himself for what had happened. Kamoshida's taunts didn't exactly help either.

And speaking of his taunts.

"Hey, Kazuma." Ryuji called out. "What did you mean earlier when you said Shiho told you everything?"

"What?" He panicked as he realized that they remembered what he said to Kamoshida.

"You said, 'Shiho told me everything'. That's what you said. You also knew about her black eye too." The spiky blonde brought up, crossing his arms with a glare. "You keeping something from us?"

"I..." He knew he had been caught, but as of right now, even though he couldn't protect Shiho like he promised, he would still keep his word and not tell anyone. He owed her that at least.

Ren knew this would eventually lead somewhere off-topic and they have more important concerns than whether or not Kazuma was keeping information from them. He turned to Morgana to ask him a question.

"Morgana, how exactly do we get rid of Kamoshida's Palace?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I wanted to ask, how hard is it." Ryuji turned back to the cat. "I mean, you've tried it before, right?

"When did I ever say that?" The cat asked which sparked a reaction from the spiky blonde.

"What?! Were you just pretendin' to know?!" He fired.

"No, of course not. I..."

"Is it true your getting expelled?"

They all heard a voice that didn't belong to any of them as it didn't belong to anyone in this group. They all turned around and saw Ann Takamaki looking at the three with a saddened expression.

"Everyone's talking about it." She pointed out.

"Not you again." Kazuma groaned at her presence here.

"Damn it! That asshole's at it again." Ryuji growled before glaring at the intruding blonde. "So what, you here to rub it in our faces or something?"

"No, that's not it at all." Ann fired back. "If you're going to deal with Kamoshida. Let me in on it too."

"Ann," Ren whispered. Even though he wanted her to be a part of this, things had changed. Including her was now out of the question.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!" She tried to make her point.

"You have got to be kidding." Kazuma scoffed at her which got her attention. "You really think we would ever accept your help? You didn't want to help out before, why the hell would we trust you now?"

"Shut your fucking mouth, you asshole!" Ann replied with the anger she held for the transfer student. "If you hate me, fine! I don't care! Kamoshida needs to pay!"

"Hey, that's enough." Ren intervened, not wanting to cause a commotion here while there were still students here.

"This has nothing to do with you, Takamaki," Ryuji said. "Don't butt your head into this."

"But it does!" She exclaimed. "Shiho's my-"

"I said don't get in our way!" The spiky blonde demanded of her.

Ann felt herself losing as both students of 2-E were opposed to her helping them. She then turned to the one person she believed would be on her side who seemed conflicted even though he had asked her to join them. It was as if he had changed his mind.

"Ren?" She called out but he just gave her a regretful apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Ann." He apologized. "But, you can't get involved. It's too dangerous."

"You...!" She felt tears form in her eyes as the boy she counted on just turned his back on her. She started to cry, now feeling completely alone. "You know, I thought out of these two assholes, you would be the only one who would understand! But you're just like them!"

"Ann, I..." He tried to reason but she wouldn't have it.

"Go to hell, Ren!" And with that, she ran away, leaving the group behind.

"Ann!" He tried to follow but she was already out of his reach, knowing that she probably felt betrayed. He then turned to the others and glared at the two for their treatment of her. "What is wrong with you two?! Why do you have to treat her like that?!"

"We can't take her somewhere like that," Ryuji informed him.

"That doesn't give you an excuse to treat her like that!" Ren argued. "Her best friend just tried to kill herself, show her some sympathy for crying out loud!"

"We don't need her getting in the way and slowing us down, Ren," Kazuma told him.

"What?" The probationer turned to him. He didn't like the way he said that or how he worded it.

"If she gets involved, she'll be a liability. We don't need her holding us back from-"

Ren wasn't going to take any more of his insults as he roughly grabbed Kazuma by the shirt and pushed him up against the vending machines, greatly shocking Ryuji. He glared at his fellow transfer student intensely, not letting him insult Ann anymore.

"Stop it, Kazuma! Stop insulting her!" He demanded.

He almost couldn't believe that this guy, who he believed to be some nice naive, goody-goody, could get so angry. Kazuma really must've pushed his buttons. Ren never liked the way he acted, how mean he was to people, and he wasn't going to listen to him insult Ann. Never again.

"Whoa! Calm down, guys!" Ryuji tried to get them to stop.

"Cmon you two. We're getting off track here." Morgana pointed out.

"Tch." Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance as he released Kazuma's shirt, letting the boy go. He didn't retaliate. He just stood there with his head down. "Ann told me what you said to her." He brought up but the boy didn't reply. He kept his eyes closed as if to avoid Ren's gaze. "I really, really hate how you treat people, Kazuma."

"She doesn't have a Persona. If she gets involved, she'll get hurt." Kazuma replied, opening his eyes, giving his partner a sad look. "And she's not the only one hurting right now."

When Ren finally cooled off, he understood that his partner was talking about himself. He really didn't mean to lash out at him like that, but between what happened today with Suzui, Kamoshida's threat of expulsion, along with the guilt of telling Ann not to get involved, he just... exploded. It left a bad taste in his mouth, he didn't like getting angry, even if Kazuma deserved it for what he said about Ann.

That, and he knew, in his own rude way, Kazuma was trying to keep Ann from getting hurt as without a Persona, she would be an easy target for the shadows. No one wanted that.

"I hope that she doesn't torment herself over this," Morgana added to change the subject and ease the tension. "When it comes down to it, women don't hesitate."

"We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida." Ryuji pointed out. "Let's go already!"

Ryuji put Morgana in his bag and left with the other two following behind. Before they went any further, Ren stopped Kazuma, wanting to talk to him privately.

"Hey." The probationer. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's whatever." Kazuma shook his head, believe he doesn't deserve an apology. "I deserved it anyway."

"Kazuma," Ren replied, seeing that he was still upset. "Are you okay?"

"No, no I'm not. All of this, it's all my fault. I failed her just like I failed them." He finished, walking after the spiky blonde, leaving the probationer behind to think over his last statement.

"You've changed." He thought, never thought he would see him so meek before. So... broken.

Hopefully, once they've dealt with Kamoshida's distorted desires, his partner will find peace. He then ran after the others, determined to end this chaos once and for all.

* * *

Little did any of them know that someone was listening in on the whole conversation. Despite running away after Ren told her not to get involved, she stuck around as there was no way in hell she was going to let this go.

She was surprised to hear Ren gets so angry with Kazuma, even if the jerk deserved it, she never thought she would ever see him explode like that.

Although she wondered what Kazuma meant by "Persona" and how she would get hurt if she didn't have one.

Nevertheless, she followed after them to see what kind of plan they had in store for Kamoshida.

 _I'm sorry, Ren_. Ann apologized as she kept her distance from the boy in question so he wouldn't spot her. _Even if you're trying to protect me, I can't just let this go. That bastard needs to pay for what he's done_.

* * *

 **My god, when I saw that scene happen in the game, my heart broke. The only thing running through my mind was how I was going to make Kamoshida suffer for what he did and avenge Shiho. Looks likes our Persona-Users share the same feelings.**

 **As you can see, Ann still holds anger towards Kazuma for what he said to her but here's hoping they can put that aside and clear the air, it's what Shiho would want.**

 **Til next time.**


	13. A Beautiful Rose Has Thorns

**Hey guys, back again with another chapter!**

 **So this one was a hard one to make, mainly due to life and a small case of writer's block. But, I was able to get it out for you guys and I hope you all enjoy it as I'm really proud of this one.**

 **Also, if you haven't checked out the anime, they already have three episodes out. Tell me what you guys think, do you love it? Do you hate it?**

 **No shoutouts for this chapter although I would like to give thanks to CBOperative4 for their constant support and encouraging me to get off my lazy ass and write some more of this fic.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the 13th chapter.**

* * *

The group left the school and made their way to the alleyway where they would begin their infiltration into Kamoshida's castle. Once saw that the coast was clear, Morgana got everyone's attention, wanting to say something first before they venture forth into the Palace.

"The moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you're ready." Morgana addressed.

"Huh? Phantom thieves." Sakamoto questioned.

"Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure. That is what we become!" The cat smiled.

"It's flamboyant," Ren stated before nodding with approval. "I like it."

"Yeah, that sounds kinda cool!" Ryuji agreed.

"Are you guys done, because we're wasting time," Kazuma said impatiently, not wanting to get off track.

"So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida's name, and... castle? Then we end up in bizarro world." The spiky blonde said, listing off the keywords.

"You guys ready?" Ren asked and each of them nodded.

"Hell yeah! We'll show that effin' Kamoshida!" Sakamoto exclaimed.

"Let's get this over with," Kazuma stated.

"Alright, let's go!" Morgana finished.

Meanwhile, Ann, who had been following the group, hid near the alley, out of sight, listening in on their conversation.

"They really are planning something." She thought. "They're doing something on their phone? A name, school, and-"

She stopped as she noticed the world around her was starting to change, reality becoming distorted.

"Huh?" She seemed stunned by the change in scenery.

Soon enough, the world around her became no more, Shujin Academy was non-existent and all that remained was a large castle.

* * *

The group found themselves back at the castle, donned in their thief attires. Ryuji slammed his fist into his open hand, ready to get started.

"All right! Time to bust on through!" He said, fired up.

"Wait." Kazuma halted the others as he sensed another presence nearby. "Someone's here."

"What is this?!"

He pulled out his sword and pointed it towards the unknown voice, believing it to be a shadow. Once they all turned to the unknown intruder, they found someone they weren't expecting to find here.

Ann Takamaki, here, in the Palace.

"What the...?" Kazuma questioned her presence here, putting his blade away.

"Ann?" Ren's eyes widened, surprised to see her here.

"T-Takamaki?!" Ryuji seemed just as shocked as the others.

"That voice... Sakamoto?" She recognized the voice behind the skull mask, turning to the other two. "You two. Is that you, Ren? Kazuma-kun?"

"Yes, Ann. It's us." Ren replied.

"Wh-Wh-Why are you here?!" The spiky blonde panicked, not knowing that she could come here.

"How should I know?!" Ann fired back, equally as freaked out. "What's going on? Hey, where are we?! Isn't this the school?!"

Morgana looked at her with lovestruck eyes, reminding him of her cognitive duplicate they came across the last time they were here. He shrugged it off as there were more pressing concerns at the moment.

"I see. Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing." The cat theorized.

"She must've been close by when we entered the keywords." Kazuma crossed his arms, believing that would be the case as he knew it was how Morgana entered the real world.

"Well, shit." Ryuji cursed.

"Wait, so all of this is related to Kamoshida?!" Ann asked, still looking around.

"That's right." Ren decided not to waste time lying to her about the truth. He got her attention as he continued. "This place is a representation of how Kamoshida views the school. He sees Shujin Academy as his personal castle where he rules as it's King. So, in this world, the school is..."

"An actual castle?!" She exclaimed loudly, having figured it out.

"Yes." He nodded. "I couldn't tell you this because you don't have the same power as we do. But I know when I told you that you couldn't get involved, I know that all I did was hurt you and I'm sorry Ann. I'm sorry for not telling you the truth."

"Ren." She felt touched by his apology and started to regret what she had said earlier. To be frank, if he had told her this, she would've thought he was crazy. He probably knew that too.

"Anyways, you gotta leave!" Ryuji stated by she didn't want to leave.

"No! I can't just leave now that I know all of this." She reasoned.

"The shadows are going to find us if you make a scene." Morgana pointed out.

It was at that moment that Ann noticed the cat's presence and began freaking out again as she thought it was just a statue behind them. "No way! Oh my god! It's a monster cat!"

"Monster?" The cat replied, appearing hurt by her comment.

"I've had enough of this." Kazuma walked up to her, grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her back to the entrance.

"Hey, let me go!" Ann started hitting his back but didn't appear affected by it.

"Stop hitting me, you idiot!" Kazuma demanded, feeling the sting of her attacks.

"Hey cmon you two, cut it out." Ren ran after them, wanting to make sure she got out safe and sound.

"She's beautiful," Morgana remarked.

"And way out of your league, cat." Ryuji quipped.

"What did you say, you dumb blonde monkey?!" Morgana insulted which sparked a reaction from the spiky blonde.

"What was that?!" He glared at the cat.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kazuma let go of Ann after dragging her to the entrance, rubbing his back and the back of his head to mend the attacks she inflicted upon him. Ren followed after to make sure she left safe and sound but also to make sure she wouldn't follow.

"You can't make me leave!" She persisted, not wanting to leave. "I want to stay and help!"

"Not happening," Kazuma stated.

"I'm sorry, was I asking you?" She snarkily retorted.

"I'm trying to make sure you don't get killed. It's dangerous in there, Takamaki." He informed her.

"He's right, Ann." Ren intervened. "If you stay here, you'll get hurt. I won't let that happen."

"But..." She bit her lip, trying to find some excuse, some kind of reason that would allow her to stay and help so she could be apart of the mission.

"Ann." Ren stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Do you trust me?"

"What" She raised an eyebrow, wondering why he would ask her such a question.

"Do you trust me?" He asked once more.

"I..." She fumbled over her words as she thought of the question. Throughout her time at Shujin, she felt like the only person she could trust and rely on was Shiho. She didn't have any other friends, Ryuji and her grew apart during their first-year, people thought ill of her due to false rumors, and she was consistently harassed by an abusive asshole.

The word trust, it didn't fit in Ann's vocabulary.

Then comes this boy, this so-called "delinquent" who is labeled a criminal on day one, shows her nothing but kindness since their first meeting by that clothing store, ran after her when she was in pain, and comforted her when she was suffering.

Did she trust him? It was an easy question to answer.

"Yes, I do." She nodded. "I do trust you."

"Then believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power to make sure that Kamoshida pays for what he did to Suzui-san and to you." He assured her. "We'll talk when it's all over. OK?"

"I..." She wanted to protest, but she couldn't. While she had no idea how dangerous this world was, she could tell that Ren was being serious about the threats this castle poses. So she relented... for now. "Okay, Ren. I'll trust you. But you owe me."

"Of course." He nodded, glad that she agreed to leave.

"Are you two done? We have things to do, Ren." Kazuma interjected, reminding him that they had no time to waste.

"Right." Ren nodded, letting go of her shoulders and pulled out his phone. "I'll take her back. Can you go check on the others?"

"Sure, whatever." He replied as he left to go check on Ryuji and Morgana.

After Kazuma had left, Ren used the navigation app to return him and Ann to the real world. Once they found themselves back in the alleyway, he prepared to part ways with her and get back to work.

"Alright, we're back." He stated. "I'll call you when this is over. See you soon, Ann." Ren took a few steps away from her so she wouldn't get dragged in again.

"Wait. Ren." She reached out a grabbed the back of his blazer to prevent him from leaving.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Well, it's..." She started but had trouble finding the words. Honestly, she was worried and a little scared. While she agreed to leave it to Ren and the others, Kazuma had explained that the castle was dangerous. "Are you guys going to be OK?"

"We'll be fine." He reassured her. "I'm a lot stronger than I look, you know."

"Oh, I know. You're "bad to the bone" after all." She teased, eliciting a laugh from him.

"Got that right." He winked before pulling out his phone.

"By the way." She brought up another thing that had been bugging her. "I wanted to talk to you, about Kazuma-kun."

"What about him?" He asked, wondering why she brought up his partner.

"I've been hearing rumors about him." She inquired. "That he and Shiho were..."

"Dating?" He finished her sentence.

"So you've heard? I know it's bullshit but... earlier, when Shiho..." She paused as the mere mention of today's events hurt. "I heard him mention that he made a promise to protect her."

"A promise, huh?" He thought. With this bit of info, it only further proves Ren's suspicion that the two were friends. If such a promise was actually made, it also explains why Kazuma looks so... defeated.

"Do you think they were friends?" She asked, curious as to what kind of relationship he had with her best friend.

"I do." He nodded in agreement. "And I believe that Shiho may have told him the truth about Kamoshida. The special coaching, the abuse, everything."

"Really?" She said in shock at Ren's deduction. "How do you know?"

"Because he's been keeping things from us." He informed her. "I don't know how much he knows, but I do know this. He blames himself for what happened. He told me he failed Suzui."

"So they were friends," Ann said. If Ren's deduction was correct then this would mean that the "new friend" Shiho told her about yesterday is none other than Kei Kazuma.

"I know you don't like him and you have every right to after what he said to you. But Ann, please don't blame him." He pleaded, believing that no one but Kamoshida was to blame for what happened.

"I don't hate him, Ren." She told him, wanting him to know that she never held any disdain towards his partner, despite his cruel words. "He just ticks me off a little."

"You're not the only one." He chuckled a little, knowing that she wasn't the only one irked by Kazuma's attitude.

"Yeah, I know. I... overheard you earlier. You know, after I told you to go to hell?" She brought up, struck with a bit of guilt for saying that but really touched that Ren had defended her, even after what she had said.

"O-Oh! You mean... you heard...?" Ren's cheeks started with the revelation that Ann had overheard his outburst toward Kazuma for his ill-treatment of her.

"Yeah." smiled, showing that she was very grateful that he defended her, even after what she said to him. "Thank you, Ren and... I'm sorry for what I said."

"Water under the bridge.." He assured her before remembering that he had a mission to get back to. "We'll talk about this later. Goodbye, Ann."

"Good luck, Ren." She wished him luck as he used his phone to return to the castle.

Even though she trusted Ren to put a stop to Kamoshida, she within her compelled to go against his wishes and follow after him. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing, especially if that castle is as dangerous as they make it out to be. She remembered that they used their phones to enter the castle, maybe her phone can do the same.

She pulled out her cell phone to see if there was someway to return only to find a brand new app installed on her phone.

"What's this eyeball thing?"

* * *

Once Ren had returned, he walked back over to his companions where they patiently waited for their leader to return. Once he was back, Ryuji let out an annoyed sigh as he didn't want Takamaki involved in this, let alone know about the existence of the castle.

"We better be careful from now on when we use that app," Ryuji stated.

"You should've checked the tools you used!" Morgana complained at the blonde's inability to make sure a trip to the castle was safe and secure. "Why do I, the one who was just watching, know more about it than you three?!"

"Sh-Shaddup." The spiky blonde said, a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry, guys. I spoke with Ann, she won't interfere any longer." Ren informed them.

"Since when are you two friends?" Ryuji crossed his arm, wondering just when did they become so close.

"Since I earned her trust by treating her with the respect she deserves, unlike the two of you." Ren frowned, reprimanding the both Ryuji and Kazuma for their ill-treatment towards Ann.

"That girl's name is Ann Takamaki, right?" Morgana thought as he smiled thinking about her. While the cognitive duplicate of her was gorgeous, the real was was absolutely stunning and he couldn't stop thinking about her. "Lady Ann." He swooned a little.

"If you guys are done, we have work to do." Kazuma impatiently got everyone back on track.

"R-Right." The cat snapped out of it, getting back to the task at hand. "You guys better ready yourselves, only a matter of time before Kamoshida knows we're back." Morgana then turned to Ren. "We're counting on you, Joker."

"Joker?" Ren questioned, wondering why the new nickname.

"Huh? That a nickname?" Ryuji wondered why the sudden change in nicknames as Morgana usually referred to him as Frizzy-Hair.

"Don't refer to it in such a lame way. It's a code name." Morgana corrected him. "What kind of stupid phantom Thief would use their real name?! I'm not down for that! And there's no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace. It's just a precaution."

"I like it. Better to be safe than sorry when running around one's distorted reality." The probationer agreed with the precaution.

"So, why's he Joker?" The spiky blonde asked, wondering where the namesake comes from.

"Because he's our trump card when it comes to fighting strength." The cat stated.

"Not bad. Good choice, Morgana." Ren, or rather Joker, held out his hand allowing the cat to hop up and give him a high five.

"It's settled then." The cat smiled, turning to Ryuji. "Alright, Ryuji. You're up. Let's see... you'll be... hmm..." He thought it over but couldn't come up with a good one. "I'm at a loss." He sighed before turning to his old cellmate. "Any ideas, Brown-Hair?"

"How about Thug? He looks like one after all." Kazuma pointed out.

"Nice!" Morgana nodded in agreement. "Alright, Ryuji. You'll be..."

"Oh, hell no!" The blonde exclaimed before turning to Kazuma, glaring at him for the nickname. "Are you pickin' a fight with me man?! Come up with something else!"

"Alright then. How about Dick?" He fired back annoyingly at the blonde's tone which only further enraged his classmate

"Screw you, dude! I'll choose it myself!" Ryuji huffed before thinking over what would be a good code name for him. He reached up and touched his mask and the idea came to him. "Hm. When it comes to me, it's gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?"

"Fine. Why not "Skull" then?" Morgana rolled his eyes at the blonde's insistence on a better code name.

"Ooh! That sounds awesome! I'm Skull!" Ryuji threw his fist in the air from excitement.

"Well then, looks like you're up Kazuma." Joker turned to him. "What do you want to be called?"

"I don't care, just pick one so we can get on with this." He irritatingly said.

"Hmm." Morgana looked at Kazuma, analyzing him up and down to try and pick out the perfect code name for him. "Brown-Hair's got that intimidating air about him with a glare to match. He doesn't like wasting time and he destroys everything in his path. Plus, there's his weapons, two and two." He pointed towards his swords and guns. "If I had to choose... I'd say... Reaper!"

"Reaper?" He questioned the nickname.

"I think it's fitting," Joker added. "You'll give those shadows something to fear."

"Hmph." He thought it over. While he didn't really care what code name he was given, he found the name to be very appealing. "Reaper it is then."

"Joker and Reaper, an unstoppable dynamic duo," Morgana smirked in satisfaction as the names went well with the two.

"What about this one's code name?" Skull pointed to Morgana.

"Does he really need one?" Kazuma, now Reaper, questioned whether the cat needed an alias.

"How about... Mona?" The spiky blonde thought of.

"Sounds easy to remember," Joker said.

"Well, if Joker thinks it's easier to call me that, then I'll go with it." Morgana agreed with it. It wasn't a bad code name, just not the one he would've chosen. "All right. From here on out, we're Joker, Reaper, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those code names from now on!"

"Sounds like a plan." Joker nodded, turning to the others. "You guys ready?"

"All right! Let's go nab this Treasure thing!" Skull said in excitement.

"I'll follow your lead, Joker," Reaper replied.

"All right. Let's get the show started!" With a flap of his trench coat, the four Persona-Users, or rather, Phantom Thieves marched forward to their goal.

* * *

The four used the ventilation shaft to return to their infiltration spot. They were about to head into the central hall when Joker stopped them.

"Wait." He raised a hand signaling them to stop. He looked around the corner and saw that the central hall was flooded with guards. "We have shadows in the hall. Let's move in quietly so we can hear what they're saying."

They nodded, following behind him quietly as they hide behind either side of the doorway into the central hall. Once they were close enough, they were able to get a better look. The guards stood in the Central Hall with Kamoshida's shadow standing atop the stairs, handing out orders.

"There he is!" Skull saw him.

"Shut up!" Reaper hushed him as they all listened in.

"Those intruders the other day were quite entertaining. However, I can't allow that trash to ransack my castle!" King Kamoshida exclaimed. "Strengthen security! Kill them on sight! I'll reward whoever brings me their heads!"

 **"PRAISE BE TO KING KAMOSHIDA!"**

 **"DEATH TO THE INTRUDERS!"**

They watched as each of the guards raised their blades in a cheer. Despite the increased security, the bright side is that they weren't aware of their presence yet so as long as they remained hidden, they would be OK.

"Hey, Mona. Can't we just beat the crap outta him and call it a day?" Skull asked, so desperately wanting to go in and kick the King's ass.

"Look at all those soldiers, idiot! It'd be suicide. And I'm sure you don't want a repeat of last time." Mona argued, reminding him the last time they faced the King when he was backed up with reinforcements. "Besides, don't you want him to confess his sins? There's no point beating him up. We need to steal his materialized desires. The Treasure."

"Fine," Skull said, annoyed at being denied the opportunity. "So, where is it?"

"It has to be somewhere in the depths of this castle." The cat theorized. "Let's infiltrate further in while he's out here!"

"Since this way is blocked off, let's try that room over there." Reaper pointed to the unopened door near the infiltration spot.

They moved away from the central hall and to the door. Joker placed his hand on the doorknob while gesturing the others to get ready in case there was a shadow in the room. Once he opened the door, his suspicions were correct as there was a guard in the room.

"Back! Back!" Joked quietly commanded as they back away and hid from the shadow. He peeked around the corner to see

"Dammit, there's a guard over here too," Skull complained. "Whaddya wanna do? Should we kick it's ass?"

"Hold on," Mona said while deep in thought. "This might be a good opportunity to teach you guys something. "All right, Joker! Are you ready to take it down?"

"Let's get this party started!" Joker proclaimed as he pulled out his dagger and rushed into the room, attacking the shadow with his weapon.

The injury inflicted upon it caused it to transfigure into its true form, a Pixie. Once that happened, the others rushed in, weapons drawn, prepared to fight.

"Remember how I taught you Hold Ups and All-out Attacks?" Mona brought up. "I'll teach you their practical use now. There's another use for Hold Ups besides simply defeating enemies. Shadows are beings born from people's hearts, so naturally, they can talk too."

"In other words, I can talk to them?" Joker asked.

"Exactly." Mona nodded. "If you talk to them when they're cornered, they might offer money or items since they don't want to die. In fact, talking has a better chance of scoring something great, as opposed to just offing them."

"Well, only one way to find out," Joker smirked as he unsheathed his dagger and whipped out his pistol, shooting the Pixie and knocking it down.

"That was easy," Skull noted.

The four surrounded the Pixie with their firearms drawn, any sudden movement, and they would light it up like a Christmas tree.

 **"Seriously?! You guys are the intruders that King Kamoshida?"** The Pixie whined. **"It can't get worse than this. What're you going to do with me?!"**

"Nothing, unless you make it worth my while." Joker threatened. "Hand over some money and I'll let you go."

 **"Huh? So you'll just let me live if I just give you some money?"** The Pixie asked.

"Well, something along those lines. Now let it be money or items. Just cough it up!" Mona demanded.

 **"I, uh, well."** The Pixie said nervously. **"I actually don't have anything on me. I-I usually do though, you know?!**

"W-Wait, what?" The cat realized the shadow was broke. "Oh. This isn't how I was planning this to go."

"Seriously, Mona?!" Skull complained.

"Hey, this isn't my fault!" The cat complained. "Anyway, it can't be helped if that's the case. Time for you to go to hell."

 **"W-Wait! You don't have to..."**

"Shut up." Reaper silenced the shadow's pleas with bullets, shooting it down with two shots and then it was no more.

"Reaper!" Joker yelled out. "We didn't let it finish, it could've offered us something!"

"It didn't have anything. We don't have time to waste talking to these things." He told him.

"Sorry about that, guys." Mona apologized. "I guess some shadows don't have anything on them. I didn't know."

"It's all good, Mona," Joker assured him. "We'll try it again the next chance we get. Hopefully, by then, a certain 'someone' will learn to keep his trigger finger steady." He threw at Reaper who simply ignored his jab.

"Alright, guys. Lets..."

 **"Intruders! Halt!"**

They turned around to see another guard had spotted them. It must've heard Reaper's gunshot and came to investigate the noise.

"Crap, they noticed us?!" Skull exclaimed.

"Persona!" Reaper summoned Ulysses who pulled out his blades and sliced through the shadow before it could turn into its true form.

"Whew. That was close. Thanks, man." The spiky blonde gave his thanks.

"Alright guys, let's not make any more noise than we have to, especially with Pink Undies and a room full of shadows next to us," Joker warned but mainly directed it to Reaper.

"Whatever." Reaper rolled his eyes.

"Well, that takes care of that. Lead on, Joker." Mona said.

The four went into the next room which leads to the west building. They went down the hallway and found a room blocked off by spikes. Seeing as they couldn't get past it, Joker spotted another door down the hallway. They went through it and saw more guards were in the areas.

"Get ready, guys," Joker said as he rushed to one of the guards and hopped onto him, grabbing at his mask. "Show me your true form!"

He ripped off its mask, weakening it greatly as it turned into a Mandrake. The other guards witnessed it and transfigured into their true forms to assist their fellow guardsman. One Mandrake and a Jack O' Lantern.

"Alright, the first move it ours!" Mona stated.

"Arsene!" Joker summoned forth his Persona who then charged at one of the Mandrakes who used evasive maneuvers, dodging each of the Persona's attacks.

"Kill it, Ulysses!" Reaper summoned his Persona to aid Joker. The Mandrake was fast enough to dodge basic attacks, but the combined efforts of both Persona, they cornered the shadow and cleaved right through it.

"Whip em, Persona!" Skull summoned forth Captain Kidd and shot a Zio at the other Mandrake. The problem was that the attack barely affected the shadow. "The hell?!" The shadow the charged forward at Skull who then used his pipe to block the blow.

"Skull, you amateur!" Mona chastised before summoning his Persona. "Zorro! Show your might!" Calling forth his Persona, Zorro formed his sword into a boxing glove, sending the Mandrake off of Skull and into the wall with a Lucky Punch.

Once the Mandrakes were killed, all that was left was the Jack O' Lantern. As it charged towards Mona, the cat pulled out his slingshot, shooting the floating pumpkin down. It was still alive but badly hurt.

"Surround it!" Joker ordered as they surrounded the pumpkin with their firearms drawn. "Stay where you are! This is a hold-up!"

 **"Wait! It's not a good idea to be shooting so recklessly, ho!"** The Lantern pleaded.

"Oh, I quite agree. But, you see my friend over there isn't as patient as me." He pointed to Reaper who had both of his pistols locked onto the Jack O' Lantern. "But, make it worth my while, and I'll consider letting you go."

 **"But be-hee-fore all that, let's enjoy a little chat, ho!"** It said, wanting to have a conversation.

"Are you really going to have a conversation with this thing?" Reaper argued, wanting to shoot it and move on.

"Don't be so hasty, Reaper. Just follow my lead." He ordered before turning his attention back to the shadow. "All right, let's talk."

 **"Hee-ho hee-ho! You're a nice guy, ho! So, what do you want with me, ho?"** The Lantern asked before making an assumption. **"Hee-ohhh, now I know. You come from some other company to scout me-hee out. There's no mistaking it, ho!"**

"Well..." Joker tried to think of something to get the conversation flowing. He didn't want to upset it or piss it off as it might start attacking them. "That's right, me and my colleagues here are with Phantom Thieves inc, and we're here to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime."

 **"I knew it! Hee-ho! You recognized my cuteness and wish to hire me! Ho!"** The shadow said excitedly.

"That's right!" He nodded. "So, how about we let bygones be bygones and forget about this little scuffle?"

 **"Hee-ho! Yay! Ho!"** The Lantern flew around from the excitement. " **You're not like that dummy king, you're a one of a kind guy! Ho! Here, have this!"** The Lantern then threw some yen onto the floor in front of Joker and then backed away. **"Now, I'll be heading out now, hee-ho! Excited for this opportunity! Ho!"**

"Knock em dead buddy!" Joker cheered as the Jack O' Lantern then flew away, ending the fight and choosing not to battle with the thieves any longer, having been moved by Joker's words. The man in question then collected the yen it gave them and showed it to his teammates. "It gave us ¥4000." Joker showed them, turning to Reaper. "Will you look at that, maybe there is merit in 'wasting time' talking to shadows."

"Whatever." He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Phantom Thieves inc.? Are you serious?"

"What? It was the best I could come up with." He shrugged.

"And that's how you do it!" Mona hopped excitedly at the successful hold-up. "Very cool, Joker!"

"Well, I had a great teacher." He reached down and gave the cat a little pet, causing him to purr a little. He then looked towards Skull who seemed a little despondent. "Skull, are you all right?"

"Did you guys see that?" He asked. "That thing just brushed off Kidd's attacks like it was nothing. What's up with that?"

"That's not entirely your fault Skull." Mona brought up. "Some enemies have certain strengths and weakness. I'm guessing those things are resistant to lightning based attacks."

"See Skull, it wasn't your fault," Joker assured him

"We should take note of a shadow's weaknesses and strengths. It could help us out in future battles." Reaper insisted.

The others nodded in agreement. As the group arrived at the next door, Joker opened it slowly and saw that the coast was clear, the door leading to a new hallway with another door at the end of the hall. When they approached it, they noticed something off about it.

"Oooh, it's another hazy-lookin' door! This is that thing! Uhhh, what was it called?" Skull asked.

"A safe room." Mona rolled his eyes. "We can discuss our strategy inside. There are a lot of places even I don't know about in here."

"Alright, let's head on in," Joker said as he opened the door and allowed the others into the saferoom.

 _So far so good._ He believed the group was making great progress. _Don't worry Ann, we'll finish this up real soon._

* * *

Ann entered the keywords just like Ren had earlier and found herself back at the strange castle.

"All right, I'm back." She said, looking around only to find that Ren and the others were nowhere in sight. She pulled out her phone and took one look at the strange eyeball app that was responsible for bringing her back. "What's up with this app?"

 **"Princess?!"**

Ann then looked up from her phone only to see three strange individuals dressed up as knights approaching her.

"Huh?" She gasped at the sight, wondering who they were.

 **"Princess!"**

They ran up to her in a panic, grabbing her arms and preventing her from leaving.

"Hey, let me go! Get off me you freaks!" She demanded but they wouldn't listen.

 **"We need to take her back to King Kamoshida!"**

"King what?!" She exclaimed as the dragged her away. "Let me go! Get your goddamn hands off of me!" She struggled but they were too strong. Unable to fight back, she cried out as she was taken away.

"Ren! Help!"

* * *

The group settled into the safe room to rest and recover from their previous fights. So far, they've made great progress and their Personas were growing stronger with every fight. But, that also meant that their enemies more alert than ever.

"Aren't there even more Shadows here than before? Just gettin' this far's been a real pain in my ass!" He wondered

"It's all because you guys provoked Kamoshida, you know," Mona stated, reminding them that their actions against the real Kamoshida affected his Shadow. "Still, he seems to be awfully on guard."

"Maybe he's more alert due to our constant visits to this castle." Reaper believed.

"I quite agree." Joker nodded.

"Anyways, how're we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?" Skull asked.

"Don't be so hasty." Mona scolded. "First, we'll need to secure an infiltration route."

"A what?" He asked, confused as to what he meant.

"A clear path to the Treasure's location. That's why you guys need to be on the lookout for safe houses like this, it'll definitely help in the future." The cat informed them.

"Hey, you say you don't have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about that kinda stuff?" Skull said suspiciously, turning to the others to see if they agree. "Do you guys think this thing's really got amnesia?"

"He's helped us out so far so I don't think he has anything to gain from lying to us. I believe in Mona," Joker told him.

"I see no reason to think he's not telling to truth." Reaper stated.

Mona smiled at the two for their continued belief in him. "At least you two are a step above this moron."

"Don't call me a moron!" The spiky blonde fired back. "You sure talk big, but what if it turns out you're just a stray cat in the end?"

"That can't be..." He said, a little despondent at the blonde's words.

"Hey, that's enough Skull." Joker kneeled down and gave the cat a little pat on the head. "I'm sure you're human, just like us, Mona. Maybe this mission will help you recover your memories."

"I like the way you think, Joker." The cat smiled, giving his leader another high five.

"Quiet!" Reaper commanded. "I hear voices."

They all did as he said and listened in on the voices outside the safe room.

 **"Still, why was the princess in such an odd place?"**

"Princess?" Skull wondered who they were referring to.

 **"I could've sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder.**

 **"It doesn't matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida!"**

"Who's this princess they're talkin' about?" Skull asked.

"I should probably look into this!" Mona opened the door. "You guys stay put, I'll be right back."

"And yet another question goes unanswered." He rolled his eyes, annoyed at Mona for dodging his questions and concerns. "Stuff like the castle and that navigation app are mysterious. But, Morgana's got 'em both beat."

"Codenames Skull, remember?" Joker brought up.

"Oh, crap! Sorry!" He apologized.

"See to it that you don't forget, Thug," Reaper told him.

"It's Skull, jackass!" He fired at his classmate.

"Alright, that's enough you two. Take five." Joker ordered as the three took a minute to rest.

Reaper sat over on the couch, thinking over the mission. To be honest, while his mind was focused on the task at hand, he knew he wasn't 100%. He couldn't stop thinking about today's events and what happened to Shiho.

 _Damn it_. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, unable to forget that horrifying sight. It was a constant reminder of how he failed her.

 _I-I'm sorry_. He remembered her words, seeing her bruised face and tear stained eyes as she apologized to him. B _ut, I-I couldn't let him h-hurt you too._

 _Was she trying to protect me too?_ He theorized. He knew she was deathly afraid of Kamoshida, so afraid that she was willing to lie about her bruise. But more than that, she was afraid of what may happen to Takamaki when she told him at Sing-Sing Karaoke that if she stood against him, there was a possibility that he would target Ann.

Was that why she didn't text him that she was in trouble? She was afraid that Kamoshida would target him?

If that was the case, the fault was still his. Instead of offering protection, he just gave Shiho another person to protect.

 _Shiho. I'm sorr-_

"ARG!" He clutched his head as a wave of pain flooded his head. Suddenly the world around him became blurry and a flash of light blinded his sight.

* * *

In the blink of an eye, he found himself not in the safe room of Kamoshida's castle, but the faculty office of Shujin Academy. He stood up stunned by the change of scenery.

 _What the hell!_ He exclaimed. He looked at his hands and checked his person to see that he was still in his thief attire. _No! It's just like last time!_

Three days ago, when he ran back to the school building after overhearing Kamoshida assault Shiho, he suffered from a headache which allowed him to see inside of the Palace while still in the school. He could tell by the fact that neither King Kamoshida nor his guards could see him and were able to pass right through him. That, along with the fact that his clothes hadn't changed proved it. Now it was happening again, this time within the castle.

He looked to see that he wasn't alone. Ms. Kawakami and Ms. Chouno were here in the office. They didn't even acknowledge his presence, further proving that he wasn't really there.

"Did you hear Sadayo?" Chouno asked. "Rumors are going around that our transfer students, along with Sakamoto-kun, and Mishima-kun, are getting expelled."

"Huh?" Kawakami seemed surprised. "Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard some students talking. Apparently, they threatened Suguru-kun with violence." She sighed. "Honestly, I expected a little better of Kazuma-san. Oh well."

"Is that really true?" Kawakami questioned as some part of her didn't believe in this rumor. So far, she's had no problems with Amamiya and he had been polite to her so far. "Amamiya-kun. What have you gotten yourself into?"

Reaper watched the scene play out, unable to do anything except watch.

"Reaper?"

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder but when he turned around, there was nobody there. Then, the headaches started again, he clutched his head as the pain grew worse and his vision became blurry again.

* * *

"Reaper?"

He heard someone speak again as he found himself once again in the safe room. Now that he was back to normal, he found that the one grabbing his shoulder was Joker who seemed concern as to why his partner was staring off into space.

"You OK?" He asked, wondering if something was wrong.

"I-I'm fine." He said, moving away from him and sat back down on the couch. He buried his face in his hands as he thought over what just happened.

 _Why is this happening to me?_ He cried out in his mind as he just wanted the pain to end.

"Dude, what's up with him?" Skull asked, walking over to Joker and whispered to him.

"I honestly don't know. I've never seen him like this before." He said, worried about the state his partner-in-crime was in.

Suddenly, Mona entered the safe room, the look on his face spoke of horror, meaning that the news wasn't good.

"This is bad!" The cat exclaimed in slight panic.

"That was fast!" Skull stated.

"What's wrong, Mona?" Joker asked.

"Your friend. Lady Ann! She's been taken by the Shadows!" The cat screamed out.

Reaper shot up from the couch hearing the news, the others' eyes widened hearing that not only did Ann find a way back into the castle but that she was kidnapped by Shadows.

"No!" Joker exclaimed.

"What the hell is this?!" Reaper demanded an explanation. "I thought you sent her home?!"

"I did!" He replied. "She must've found a way back. Which means..."

"She has the app." Reaper theorized before slamming his hands onto the table in frustration. "Damn it!"

"If Lady Ann does indeed have the app, it could be possible that's how she was able to come back," Mona stated.

"Dammit! We let her out for her own safety, and she just came back in by herself!" Skull cursed at the situation, knowing that without a Persona, she was in serious danger.

"I thought you said she wouldn't interfere anymore, Joker." Reaper crossed his arms.

"Hey, don't put this on me, Reaper! I didn't think she'd be able to come back!" He fired back. "Anyway, we need to go save her, right now."

"Agreed!" Mona nodded. "Follow me! I'll guide you!"

Joker slammed the door open and left with the others to rescue Ann. They followed after Mona who apparently could sense her presence nearby.

"She's just past that dining room-looking place! Let's go!" Mona commanded

They backtracked their way back to the barracks only to find a shadow waiting for them. But now was not the time, Joker wasn't in the mood for a fight or a hold up.

"Arsene!" Joker ripped off his mask, summoning his Persona who then charged at the shadow, slamming the creature into the wall with its elbow, backing away and then used Eiha to destroy it.

Once that was done, they heard a screech out in the distance.

"Is this some kind of filming?! Who's in charge here?!"

"Ann!" Joker ran towards where her voice was. They backtracked until they found themselves back in the hallway and found that the room that was blocked off by spikes is no longer there. Which mean meant that she must be beyond those doors.

"This way!" Mona commanded.

"I'm coming Ann, just hold on!"

* * *

Ann was strapped up by the arms to a wooden X-shaped structure, unable to break free. In the room with her were two knights standing by her side. Despite the odds against her, she still tried to break free and escape.

"What's all this about?! Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!" She threatened.

"So, this is the intruder." She heard a menacing voice get closer. She looked and saw Kamoshida, wearing nothing but a bathrobe and pink underwear.

"Kamoshida?!" She gasped at the sight of him but also because of what he was wearing. Soon after, another walked up to his side but it was almost like looking into a mirror as a girl who looked just like her, wearing nothing but cat ears and a purple bikini rushed up to his side. "Who's that?! More importantly, where is Ren and the others?!"

"I can't believe you fools mistook my Ann for someone like her." The King laughed but took note of the fear in her eyes."Are you afraid?

"What is that outfit?" She asked, repulsed by his attire. "Have you lost your mind?"

"I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle. The world of my desires." He explained.

"So Ren was right. This place. This world. It's all because you think the school is your castle!" She exclaimed.

"What a lively slave." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Although, if I were you, I'd worry less about that piece of garbage and more on yourself."

"Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida! Where is my friend?!" She demanded to know but the King just ignored her, disgusted at the fact that she tried to demand things of him. He then wrapped his arm around the duplicate of Ann and brought her closer to him.

"The girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that, babe?" He asked the fake Ann.

"Talking back is, like, totally unforgivable." She traced a finger along his chest.

"Hmph. In that case." He then refocused his attention on the real Ann. "She should be executed!"

She gasped at what he just said as another guard entered the picture, one with golden armor and a golden sword. It approached her with its blade pointed towards her.

"Now then how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?" He questioned, reveling in the girl's suffering

"Are you kidding me?" Ann whispered, having realized that this was real and that death was soon approaching her.

* * *

Meanwhile, the others had entered the room and were graced with a most repulsive sight. They saw women on the ground, bare nude with the exception of gym shorts, moaning and crying out for Kamoshida. The sight made Joker sick to his stomach, Reaper simply looked away, Mona kept his focus, and Skull took note of the girls, recognizing them.

"This is effed up," Skull said as he recognized the girls as members of the volleyball team. "Is this what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?!"

Mona then looked past the duplicates on the ground and saw Ann, tied up, and cornered by guards and Kamoshida's shadow.

"Hey, that's..." The cat spotted her and immediately, their leader ran over to them.

"Ann!" Joker then ran past the girls, his weapon drawn, ready to rescue her.

The sudden cry was heard by everyone in the room. Ann looked past the guards and saw her friend along with the others.

"Ren!" She cried out, relieved that he was here.

"Just when I was about to start enjoying myself, you punks show up and ruin it." The King said in annoyance.

"Get away from her!" He demanded.

"How many times are you gonna come back?!" He gritted his teeth in irritation before turning back to Ann. "I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah... I forget that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know."

"What?" She realized he was talking about Shiho and that he was blaming her for her suicide attempt.

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her... take your place." Kamoshida grinned.

"N-No." Reaper whimpered, knowing full well what the King was implying.

"You bastard!" Ann cried out, struggling against the binds she wanted to claw his face right now. But her struggles proved for naught as the guard captain got closer. She gasped as he raised his sword, preparing for an execution.

"Stop! Leave her alone!" Joker cried out and was about to move for an attack but King Kamoshida raised a hand.

"Take one more step and I'll kill her on the spot." He threatened.

"Dammit!" Skull cursed.

"Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show." He smirked at how hopeless the thieves were at being unable to save Ann.

"No! Don't! I'm begging you! Please!" Joker begged.

"Ren..." Ann started to cry as it seemed unlikely that she was coming out of this alive.

"Maybe, I'll start with her clothes." A wicked smile formed on the King's face as he thought of how he wanted the execution to go.

"You're such a perv." The fake Ann giggled.

"Hey, what are we gonna do?!" Skull asked, wanting to do something. Anything to save Ann. As the guard captain got closer, he cried out. "Takamaki!"

"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho?" Ann believed that this was fate's doing, punishing her for not giving into Kamoshida's desires.

"That's more like it. You should've looked like this from the start." King Kamoshida stated.

"Shiho... I'm so sorry..." She offered one final apology, even if it was useless at the moment.

"Die, you worthless bitch!" Kamoshida commanded and the guard captain thrusts his sword forward, preparing to end her life.

"NO!" Joker cried out, reaching his hand out.

Suddenly, time around him started to slow down and Ann's execution was delayed. Joker looked at his companions and saw that they were frozen, just like the world around him. A voice called out to him, breaking him from his thoughts.

 **"What's the matter, inmate?! You giving up now?! How pathetic?!"**

"That voice..." He recognized as a wave of pain flashed through his head.

* * *

Ren suddenly found himself back in the velvet room, in his prison cell, wearing his prisoner attire. He looked towards the cell door to see Caroline and Justine looking him, the former staring at him with disapproving eyes.

"Stop slacking off!" Caroline chastised. "You've awakened to new power so stop wasting time and use it already!"

"Thanks to your newly formed partnership, you have awoken the power of the Chariot Arcana," Justine explained as she pulled out a card with an illustration of an injured charioteer. It flew from her hands and into his cell

The card was then engulfed in a mysterious white light which then transfigured into a mask resembling his own.

"This Persona is characterized by its strength," Justine informed.

"Happy now, inmate?" Caroline questioned.

* * *

"Happy?" He opened his eyes, back in the castle with a grin on his face. He looked to see that the mask he acquired from the velvet room was in his hand. He slammed it into his mask, merging the two together. "I'm ecstatic!"

Time resumed as normal and this time, Joker was going to save Ann!

"Ara Mitama!"

Ripping off his mask, his Persona, his brand new Persona, appeared right in front of Ann, protecting her from the guard captain.

"What the...?" She said in shock.

Ara Mitama, using Freila on each of the enemies, blasted the shadows away with a nuclear attack, sending all the shadows, as well as the King, into the nearest wall.

"The hell?!" Skull exclaimed, stunned by the appearance of a new Persona.

"Joker, how did you..." Mona was flabbergasted at what he witnessed. Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona. How was this possible?!

"A new Persona." Reaper was the only one who remained calm as Joker summoned forth new power.

However, it seemed that attack put a lot of strain on Joker as Ara Mitama dissipated and returned to its master as a mask, who then fell to the ground, utterly exhausted.

"That took a lot out of me." He said, too tired to keep fighting.

"Why you insolent piece of shit!" Kamoshida and the rest of the shadows recovered and then ordered his guards to attack the thieves.

Joker, being unable to protect himself, couldn't do a thing as the guards rushed towards him. He then looked up and saw Reaper with his swords drawn, ready to defend him.

"Out of the way, blasted thief!" The guard captain used his shield to knock Reaper out of the way, even with the use of his blades, he was unable to successfully block the blow.

"GAH!" He was sent into a wall. He tried to get back up but another guard pressed it's foot on his stomach, preventing him from getting up.

"Joker! Reaper!" Mona and Skull tried to go help their companions only for the shadows to stop them, pinning them to the ground as they watched the King approach their weakened leader.

"First you sully my castle with your filth! Then you block my spike! And now you dare to take my prize from me?!" The King then grabbed Joker by the neck and held him up.

"Ren! No!" Ann, who was still tied up, watched as the King held her friend by the neck.

"What... can I... say? I'm..." He choked out. "...stubborn."

"Even now, you can't shut up." He groaned before looking towards Ann. "I think this is a more suitable punishment. You'll watch as I kill the only friend you have left, Takamaki."

"No! Stop!" She begged and pleaded but it fell on deaf ears as the King refused to listen. She started to cry again as she was unable to do anything but watch Ren suffer.

"Ann..." He struggled to speak but she could hear him. "You're not weak Ann."

"What?" Her eyes widened at what he said.

"You're... strong... stronger than anyone I've... ever known." He stated. "Even though I... I asked you to stay out of it. You... you came back. Because you wanted to help. To make Kamoshida pay... for what happened."

"Y-Yes." She weakly nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"Then don't let this... scumbag's words keep you from accomplishing that. You can do it. I... I believe in you. It's time to break free... of his clutches and take your revenge. You can... do it!" He could feel Pink Undies squeeze harder, preventing him from talking any further.

"Worthless trash." He insulted before looking over to Ann to see that she stopped struggling.

"You're right, Ren." She spoke. "Letting this piece of shit toy with me. What was I thinking?!"

"It's like I always say. Slaves should just behave and-"

"Shut up!"She screamed out. "I've had enough of this. I've had it with your bullshit!"

And with those next words, she finally broke free.

"You piss me off, you son of a bitch!"

...

...

 _ **My... It's taken far too long.**_

"GAH!" A wave of indescribable pain flowed through Ann's head.

 _ **Tell me... Who is going to avenge her if you don't?**_

The sensation was too unbearable. With her arms tied up, she was unable to escape the pain that coursed through her.

 _ **Forgiving him was never the option.**_

 _ **Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within.**_

She struggled against the binds to fight against the pain, but it was futile.

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **We can finally forge a contract.**_

With the pain died down, she finally accepted what the voice within her.

"I hear you... Carmen." She looked upward as a red mask appeared. "You're right. No more holding back!

With her strength, she was able to rip off the bind that held her left hand. Kamoshida, appearing fearful of his captive's newfound strength, released Joker and then back away. Joker, now free from the King's grasp and regained his breath, looked up and saw Ann using the strength within her to break free.

 _I knew you could do it_. He smirked.

 _ **There you go... Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself.**_

As she ripped off the last bind, she was finally free.

 _ **Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength.**_

Ann then tore off her mask, engulfing her body in a blue flame and obtained the strength used to finally rebel against the man that's tormented her.

Once the flames cleared up, Ann, now donned in her thief attire stood in front of her Persona, Carmen. The Persona wore a red dress along with a mask of her own. In her hands, she had chains attacked nonfunctioning bodies with giant hearts for heads.

She glared at the enemies that stood before her, rushing in for an attack. The shadow that was standing over Mona was taken by surprise as she kicked its weapon from it, leaped into the air, and grabbed onto the blade cutting through the fake duplicate of herself.

Kamoshida stood back, paralyzed in fear as his prize was killed right in front of him. The guard captain stood in front of him to protect it's King.

Ann then threw the sword right back at its owner, piercing through its chest, killing it. She then used the weapon she found on her hip, a whip, and used it on the shadow standing on Skull, the whip wrapping around the creature's neck. Using her strength, she threw the shadow over to the guard standing over Reaper, freeing the fallen Persona-User and killing both shadows.

Once the guards were dealt with, she rushed over to Joker's side to protect him.

"Ann." He smiled, amazed by her newfound strength.

"Now, it's my turn to help you, Ren." She told him, turning back to the King with a fiery glare as strong as her whip. "You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag."

"Bitch." He threw an insult.

"You stole everything from Shiho. You destroyed her. Now it's your turn!" She declared, pointing her finger at her target. "I will rob you of everything!"

 **"How dare you! Enough of your insolence!"** The guard captain transfigured into Belphegor, it's true self.

"No, I've had enough of you! No one's gonna stop me now!" She smirked at the power within her, now ready to fight. "Let's go, Carmen!

"Holy crap, Takamaki," Skull said in astonishment.

"Lady Ann." Mona did the same.

"So this is the power within you, Takamaki." Reaper watched from where he was. "Looks like I was wrong."

 **"How dare you deny King Kamoshida's love, you selfish lass! Pay for this insolence with your life!**

"That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don't make me laugh with that "love" bullshit!" She fired back.

"Show them your power, Ann." Joker cheered for her.

"Right!" She nodded. "Cmon Carmen! Let's give 'em hell!"

Using her Persona, she sent forward an Agi toward Belphegor, damaging it greatly. With this opportunity, she used her whip on it, engaging it in battle.

The Belphegor used Garu and sent Ann backward but thanks to her newly acquired reflexes, she was able to recover. She used Agi once more, weakening the shadow greatly.

"What do you say, Ann?" Joker, having finally recovered a bit of strength, smirked at her. "Ready to end this?"

"Let's do this, Ren!" She nodded as the two charged forward and leaped to perform an **All-Out Attack**. They attacked the shadow in every direction, the creature unable to track them as they moved so fast. Once they were done, Ren and Ann landed safely on the ground.

 **"OMG! We are so awesome!"** She smirked with a peace sign.

With the Shadow dead, and the area secured, Ann placed her whip back on her hip. She looked around and saw that King Kamoshida took advantage of the battle to make his escape. She groaned in annoyance but couldn't do anything about it now. But soon, very soon, he won't escape her a second time.

Joker, having used up all of his strength helping Ann perform that All-Out Attack, collapsed on the ground. She heard him collapse and ran to his aid.

"Ren!" She rushed over to his side, worried for his well-being.

"I knew you could do it, Ann." He smiled. "I told you, you're strong."

He didn't get a reply, but instead a hug. She wrapped her arms around him rather tightly which made him groan a bit as he was still in pain from Kamoshida's grip.

"I was so worried." She tried her best to keep herself from crying.

"Hey, I was the one trying to save you. It should be the other way around." He playfully complained in which she released him.

"Looks like I beat you to the punch." She stuck her tongue out at him which elicited a laugh from both of them.

"I guess your 'bad to the bone' now." He teased.

"Heh, guess I am." She smiled.

However, their little moment was ruined when Skull recovered and went up to her. While he was glad they were both safe, he was furious at Takamaki's interference.

"What the hell, Takamaki!" He exclaimed. "Why'd you come here, man?! And more importantly, how?!"

"Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman?!" Mona chastised him before turning his attention back to Ann. "Are you alright, Lady Ann?"

"Lady Ann?" She questioned the weird nickname the cat gave her. "Wait, what is this thing? Is it alive? How can it talk?"

"Don't ask. It'll save you a headache." Reaper added as he joined the group.

"It's a lot to explain," Joker told her. "First, let's get out of here. Once we're somewhere safe, I'll tell you everything."

"Well... OK." Ann stood up along with Joker. Now that she had a more understanding of her surroundings, she got a better look at the area. As well as her new attire. "Huh?" As she looked down, she saw that she was now wearing what appeared to be a skin-tight red latex catsuit worn with a matching red panther mask, cleavage cutout, zippers, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots and has a clipped on tail in the back. Upon realizing how revealing her outfit was, she covered up her chest with her arms, her face now the same color as her outfit. "Why am I dressed like this?! When did I- Ugh, what's with this?!"

"You just noticed?" Reaper asked, wondering how long it took for her to realize she was wearing something completely different.

"I think you look great," Joker said but that didn't exactly help.

"Not helping, Ren!" She growled a little.

"Well, I'm stumped," Mona stated. "A search party will be coming for us soon. We don't have a choice. Let's retreat for now!"

"We were just gettin' fired up and you had to go and get in the way." Skull groaned. "Fine."

"Cmon, Ann. Let's get out of here." Joker insisted that they leave and she complied.

"All right." She tried to follow the others but fell down when she took a step. She must still be exhausted after awakening to her Persona.

"I got you." Joker kneeled down and placed her arm over his shoulder, lifting her up.

"Ren..." He heard her whisper. "Thank you."

"No Ann." He shook his head, smiling at her. "Thank _you_."

* * *

Once the group left the castle, they made their way to the train station bound for Yongen-Jaya. Apparently, unbeknownst to Ren or Kazuma, Ann actually lives close to there. It explained why Ren encountered her the other day and the reason they haven't encountered her earlier was probably due to the two transfer students always showing up at the train so early.

Ryuji ran off to get some drinks. Ren opted to stay by Ann's side and explain the situation to her while Kazuma simply laid against the wall, not saying anything.

Soon enough, Ryuji showed up with a bag full of drinks.

"Which one you want." He asked the blonde first.

"Whichever's not carbonated." She told him.

"Uh, they're all carbonated actually," He said.

With the groan, Ann took the one on her left while Ryuji handed the rest to Ren and Kazuma. Morgana, wondering why he wasn't given one, popped out of Ren's bag and gave the spiky blonde a questioning glare.

"What about me?!" He asked.

"Huh? But you're a cat." Ryuji said matter-of-factly.

Ann giggled a bit at the interaction between Ryuji and Morgana as they seemed to have gotten close.

"Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?" The cat asked, concerned for her.

"Um. Morgana, right?" She asked and he nodded. "I really am talking to a cat. This feels so strange." She commented before realizing she may have offended him. "Oh, sorry! You're not a cat, right?"

"It's only natural that you're confused," Morgana said. "Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much."

"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened." She looked at her hand, remembering the power she had earlier. "And that power... my Persona."

"It's the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you'll be able to fight in that other world." Morgana informed her.

"So, if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right?" She asked, still unable to believe that they have the power to do that. "Is it really possible? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?"

"The volleyball team's keepin' quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye," Ryuji told her.

"Fatass won't do anything either since Kamoshida's his favorite," Kazuma stated.

"And anything we say will fall on deaf ears," Ren explained. "This is the only option we have."

"Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho." She pleaded with the group to let her join them. "He just keeps going on like nothing happened, even after what he did to her." She crushed her soda with her hand. "I'll never forgive him."

Before Ren could say anything, Ryuji beat him to the punch, still reluctant to get her involved in all of this.

"Wait, did you just say, "'let me help'? You mean, you want us to take you along?" He questioned if she was being serious.

"Don't act like I'm going to drag you down. Weren't you watching? I can fight too." She argued her case but Ryuji still didn't seem thrilled at the idea.

"I don't know." He shook his head, turning to Ren to get his input. "What do you think?

Ann then turned to Ren to hear what he have to say, her expression was neutral as she wondered if he would be OK with having her along. Although, she had a feeling this time, he would be on her side.

"After what happened, I think Ann would be a welcome addition." He said which made her smile, glad that he approved of her joining them. "What about you, Kazuma?"

Then there was the one vote she was dreading the most. She turned to face him and he simply graced her with his usual frown. Or maybe that was his usual expression, she could never really tell with this guy. She knew he hated her. Just like Ryuji, he had been the most vocal of wanting her to stay out of this. But now she has a Persona, now she can fight. Maybe now he'll approve of her joining.

"A fire-based Persona could come in handy." He said, looking away from her. "So, I say yes."

It was honestly a surprise to hear that he approved of her joining. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Hearing this did make Ann happy, knowing that they'll be able to put aside their differences and work together for a common goal.

"Thank you, Kazuma-kun." She gave her thanks but he simply ignored it.

"Dude, even you're on board with this?" Ryuji complained as he thought Kazuma would be most against this.

"I agree as well. The more manpower we have, the better." Morgana stated.

"Fine, fine." The spiky blonde relented. "Even if I voted no, I'm sure I'd be overruled."

"What the hell?! I'm being serious here!" Ann argued.

"Okay then," Ren spoke, cutting them off as they all looked towards him. "From today forward, the five of us are a team with a common goal. And we will get there." He adjusted his glasses as they each nodded in agreement. "I look forward to working with you."

"Thank you, Ren." Ann smiled, glad to be part of the group but also to have her friend on her side again. "I'm going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho's sake, but for everything's he's done. Including trying to get you expelled."

"We won't let any more people suffer because of him. We'll stop him. Together." The probationer assured her.

"Together." She nodded in agreement.

As Ann resolved to stop Kamoshida, Ren silently promised to help her accomplish her goal and be there for her every step of the way as they fight to change his heart.

...

...

* * *

...

...

During the interrogation, Sae interrupted him again as she brought up something that concerns her.

"I doubt something as dangerous as your group could've been pulled off with orthodox methods." She believed. "It wouldn't be odd if you had someone that was proficient in deceiving the eyes of others."

"That your expert deduction, Sae? Or just a mere assumption?" He played but she didn't seem to appreciate it as she frowned at his apparent mocking.

"If you're listening, then answer me!" She demanded, leaning forward and glaring into his eyes.

"Well, I guess you could say we were all experienced actors." He answered. "You know me, I love a good mystery."

...

...

* * *

...

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **It shall become the wings of rebellion**_

 _ **that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **With the birth of the Lovers **__**Persona,**_

 _ **I have obtained the blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.**_

...

 _All right_. Ren heard the mysterious voice, signifying his newly formed partnership with Ann.

"Oh wait! I don't have everyone's info." She turned to Ryuji and Kazuma. "Hey, give me your number and chat ID."

"Sure thing." Ryuji exchanged numbers and chat ID with Ann. She then turned to Kazuma who then exchanged info with her as well.

"Well, I'll be counting on you guys." She told them. "Same goes for you, Morgana.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann." The cat smiled.

"Well, guys. Let's head home for today." Ren said. "We'll discuss our plan tomorrow and..."

"Hold on a sec." Ryuji interrupted him, not ready to call it a day just yet. "I think we need to talk about the elephant in the room here."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Ryuji?" Ann asked, confused as to what he meant.

"What do you think?" He replied before turning to Kazuma. "I'm talking about him... and Suzui."

Kazuma was stunned at suddenly being called out but looked to avoid everyone's gaze as he felt the attention being placed on him. He had a feeling why he was being called out but didn't want to talk about it.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He simply said.

"Don't lie, man. Not now." Ryuji glared, crossing his arms in disapproval. "We all saw you rush up to her. What was that all about, huh?"

"I-It was nothing." He shook his head but his voice was starting to crack at him bringing up her suicide attempt.

"Kazuma-kun, I heard what you said to her," Ann interjected. "I heard you say you promised to protect her. Isn't that right?"

"You don't know anything, Takamaki." He glared at her for bringing that up.

"Dude, cut the shit," Ryuji demanded. "I've heard some people in our class say they saw you two together during lunch. Come clean and spill it already."

"I have nothing to spill and I'm not talking about this with you guys." Kazuma got off the wall and walked away from the others.

"We're not done!" The spiky blonde said.

"I am!" Kazuma fired back at him.

"Kazuma," Ren spoke which got his attention as he didn't have the same accusatory tone that Ryuji had. "I spoke with Suzui the other day."

The caught everyone off guard as they had no idea that Ren spoke with Shiho. The mere knowledge of that halted Kazuma's movements and everyone focused their attention on him as he had more to say.

"She asked if you and I were getting along." He told him. "She spoke so fondly of you, as if you were a friend."

"S-Stop." He pleaded but he continued.

"I always wondered why that was and why you rushed to her side the way you did. And then, I see this look on your face." He brought up how he had been acting, he looked so defeated and upset. "You knew. You knew about how Kamoshida calls people to his office to abuse them whenever he gets miffed. You knew because she told you everything."

At that moment, he had been found out. Ren had deduced everything perfectly. To be honest, Kazuma had a feeling that he'd be able to figure it out, even if today's events never happened. Now that he's been found out, he didn't feel the need to insult them by keeping it a secret any longer. His promise with Shiho was already broken beyond repair.

"I..." He started but had trouble finding the words. "I never wanted to keep it a secret."

"So that's why?" Ann's eyes widened at the realization of Shiho and Kazuma's friendship. This meant that he really was Shiho's 'new friend'.

"So, you knew?" Ryuji, on the other hand, did not take this very well as he could not believe Kazuma would keep something like this from them. "You knew this whole time and you didn't say anything?!"

"You don't understand." He clenched his fist in sadness as Ryuji was calling him out.

"Understand what?! That Suzui told you what Kamoshida was doing to her and her teammates?! That you actually got her to talk?!" Ryuji exclaimed and it was really starting to affect Kazuma as his strength was starting to relent. "What the hell is wrong with you man?! Wasn't she your friend?!"

"And I failed her!" Kazuma turned around aggressively and fought back against Ryuji which startled him and the others. "Is that what you want me to say?! That I failed her?! Because I did and I don't need to stand here and have you remind me that I screwed up!"

"Kazuma, calm down. No one is judging you, OK?" Ren said in an attempt to calm his friend down.

"I was trying to help her! I thought..." He winced. "I thought I could protect her from him. But, I was wrong and now I have to live with the fact that she's in a coma right now because I couldn't keep my promise to her."

"Kazuma-kun." Ann could tell this was eating him up. It's just as Ren said earlier, he blamed himself.

"This was a mistake." Kazuma chose to believe, now realizing the consequences of letting others into his life. "I should never have gotten involved with her, or any of you. I... I think it would be best if you guys just stayed as far away from me as possible."

"You don't mean that," Ren interjected, refusing to accept that he believed in what he is saying.

"Don't I, Ren?" He glared at him. "You once asked me if I was happy not having any friends."

"And you said you weren't." He remembered. "That's what you said."

"Well, what good is that happiness when it eventually gets ripped away from you?" He finished as he turned his back to them. "I've had enough. I have nothing more to say to any of you, there's no point." Kazuma left, heading back to Shibuya, turning his back on the others.

"Wha?! Hey! Hold on!" Ryuji grabbed his arm, preventing him from walking away. "You just gonna give up?! You think that's what Suzui would've-"

"Get your hand off me!" Kazuma roughly ripped his arm out of Sakamoto's grasp, causing him and the others to backpedal a bit from the tone of his voice. "Just leave me alone!"

And with that, he left, leaving the others to digest what they had learned. That Shiho Suzui had told Kazuma everything about Kamoshida but made him swear to never speak a word of it. He then made her a promise to protect her and that promise was shattered into pieces.

"Did Brown-Hair just... quit?" Morgana appeared confused but also worried about him.

"Jesus. Can you believe that guy?" Ryuji crossed his arm, still pissed off.

"Ryuji, he didn't quit," Ren told him. "He's upset. Of course he's going to say things he doesn't mean."

"I know, but still..." He shook his head, pushing out any contempt he may be holding for his classmate as he began to understood that he was truly hurting.

"They were friends," Ann noted.

"I should probably go find him," Ren suggested. He saw him head back to Shibuya and since they were teens, odds are Kazuma had a curfew.

"Actually. Why don't you let me go talk to him." Ann offered.

"You sure? You two aren't exactly friends." The probationer was touched that she was willing to go talk with his partner but a little concerned as from what she told him, the last time they talked didn't go very well.

"I know, but this would give us a chance to clear the air." She said. Since they were going to be working together, she decided it would be best to talk things out with him.

"Well, if you say so, Ann." Ren decided that if she was willing to talk to Kazuma, who was he to stop her?

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." And with that, she left, heading after Kazuma to try and talk to him.

 _She's matured as well. I'm really proud of how much she's grown_. Ren thought to himself.

"What a kind girl. Such admirable consideration for others. And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal." Morgana noted. "She cares about her friends, and she's beautiful to boot. What a girl! She's captured my heart."

"Dude." Ryuji rolled his eyes at the cat speaking on his newfound crush for Ann.

"Ease up there, lover boy." Ren teased.

"You know, it'd be better if this group could get together quick from now on." The spiky blonde stated.

"True. Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things." The cat explained.

"A hideout, huh? I like the sound of that." He smiled in satisfaction.

"The school rooftop should work," Ren suggested.

"Sounds good to me. It seems like nobody goes up there. For the time being, that will make the perfect hideout." Morgana officially declared the rooftop to be their hideout. "I can't contact you from inside a Palace, so I'll stay in this world. That being said, I'll need someone to take care of me. I'm personally nominating you, Joker. You should feel honored."

"Wait, what?" The probationer questioned at the sudden decision to look after Morgana. He didn't know if Sojiro would allow him to stay or would even allow a cat in his store.

"This's all you. There's no way I can at my place." Ryuji shrugged.

"And I don't know if Kazuma will be ok with it." He groaned a little at the sudden decision but decided not to object. "Well, looks like it's you and me, little buddy." He gave Morgana a small pat on the head which cause him to purr a little.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow." The spiky blonde bid him farewell.

"Have a good night, Ryuji." Ren waved goodbye as he heard that the train arrived.

"OK! Let's go look at my new residence for this world." The cat said.

As he got on the train, he thought over what he could say to Sojiro to allow Morgana to stay but his thoughts were still on his partner, hoping that Ann would be able to talk to him.

* * *

Kazuma found himself in Station Square, having bought a few treats at the Underground Mall. He sat down on one of the benches surrounding the trees where he could be alone. He sat down his bag of full of sweets, now finally able to enjoy the chocolate strawberry crepe he'd been holding.

He took a bite and suddenly he was overwhelmed by the taste. He loved sweets and couldn't get enough of them. Crepes were especially his weakness as there were so many to try, he could never get tired of them.

It was a nice snack but it did little to relieve him of his pain.

Even drowning himself in sweets did little to ease his suffering or hide the truth.

It was all his fault. Everything was his fault.

He reached out to Shiho, gave his word that he would protect her from Kamoshida, accepted her friendship and now she's in a coma with little chance of waking up. He had failed her, he had failed to keep his word and now she's suffering because of it. Just like his family before her, he failed to save her.

"Shiho." He whispered, pulling out his phone and looked over their texts to see if they could provide comfort. It didn't, it just made him feel even worse. "This is my fault. I never should've gotten close to you."

 _They say If your life changes, you can change the world. But that's a lie_. Kazuma thought as he crushed the crepe in his hand, the pain and guilt becoming almost unbearable. _Because I'm still living in this hell and the world is still the same rotten place it's always been_.

"You're going to make a mess, you know?"

Kazuma heard someone direct those words to him, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up and saw Ann Takamaki of all people standing in front of him, her hands on her hips and she looked at him with a small frown. Kazuma didn't reply, he simply grabbed a napkin from his bag and cleaned up his hand.

"What do you want?" He questioned as he didn't really care for company right now, let alone her company. "Is there an emergency with the others or something?"

"So, you're not quitting?" She questioned.

"Either answer the question or get out of here." He demanded.

"No, it's nothing like that." She told him. "I wanted to check on you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine. Now get lost Takamaki." He shooed her away so he can suffer alone.

"No, you're not." She crossed her arms at his attitude. "You know, you can call me Ann. Since we're working together, we should get past addressing each other by our last names."

"To call you by your first name would imply that we're friends. We're not." He let her know that there was no friendship between them.

"But, we don't have to be enemies." She pleaded as she truly did want to erase the bad blood between them.

He sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get rid of her so easily. "Fine. Sit if you want."

"Thank you." She then sat down next to him but he scooted away from her. "So, was this your plan? Drown your sorrows in sweets."

"It's better than listening to that moron Sakamoto remind me of my failure." He grumbled.

"Yeah, he can be a loudmouth sometimes." She giggled but he didn't laugh in the slightest and she realized that it wasn't funny to him. "Can I be real with you for a second?"

"Sure, if it gets you to leave." He replied.

"I think I've figured you out." She told him.

"Congratulations. Want a cookie?" He sardonically asked but it didn't deter her in the slightest.

"When I first met you, I admit, you were such an asshole. You really hurt my feelings that day and I was so mad at you. Not because of what you said, but because it was sort of true. I just didn't want to admit it." She confessed. "But, I look at you now, and the guy I met that day is not the same guy I'm talking to right now."

This definitely got a reaction from him as she saw that he was clenching his fists tightly, his hands shaking, and his head down as she couldn't tell how he was feeling.

"I can see it, Kazuma-kun. I can see that you're utterly miserable and alone and you think what happened is your fault. It's not." Ann assured him that what happened wasn't his fault, not in the slightest nor did she blame him for what happened. There was only one person at fault and it wasn't either of them but she could tell he was blaming himself even now, even after everything she said. Otherwise, he would have his head down so she couldn't see his expression.

And… she wouldn't see tears rolling down his face.

"Kazuma-kun?" She asked in concern as he started to cry before her.

"I-I screwed up." Kazuma couldn't stop these tears, tears he thought would never form again as he believed that the part of him that could register tears was long dead. But it's still here. "I-I asked her if she wanted me to stay after and she said no. If I had stayed, none of this wouldn't have happened."

Ann didn't say anything. To be honest, there was nothing she could say at the moment as she was seeing a side of Kazuma she had never seen nor expected of him. But she could tell these were his true feelings.

"I made her a promise. I promised her I would protect her. I promised her and I screwed up!" He confessed, unable to stop the tears as they poured down his face. "I wasn't at school. I wasn't there for her. And now… now she's… she's…"

"Kazuma-kun." She placed a hand on his shoulder, the first kind gesture she's shown to him as he broke down before her. She allowed him to pour out his tears as she could tell he had been holding it in all day. "I don't blame you for what happened. Neither does Ren or Ryuji, so you shouldn't blame yourself. We're going to take him down, together. But, we can't do it without you."

"How?" He questioned. "How are you so strong right now?"

"Well..." She smiled a bit, knowing full well why she's been able to keep it together. "I guess you could say Ren's a bad influence."

"No kidding." He commented. He couldn't believe that Ann was being so kind to him ever after what happened between them. The truth was, those harsh words were mainly said out of anger for what she said. But, he knew, in her own way, she was trying to protect Shiho too. And he respected her for it. Which is why she deserves an apology. "Takamaki... I..."

"Call me Ann." She insisted.

"Ann. I'm..." He finally looked up at her, allowing her to see his tear-stained red eyes. "I'm sorry. For what I said to you."

"I know." She nodded, accepting his apology as she knew he genuinely meant it. "Water under the bridge Kazuma-kun."

"I-I swear." He then made a pledge and a new promise. "I swear, I am going to make him pay for what he did." She knew he was referring to Kamoshida. "For Shiho... and for you. He will pay."

"I know." She nodded, agreeing with him completely. "I'll be counting on you, Kazuma-kun."

Having finally cleared the air between them, Ann and Kazuma have chosen to work together to avenge their friend.

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **From the self-suffused with divine love to the self-capable of demonic cruelty.**_

 _ **A new** **self has** **been born.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Thou hast given birth to the Arcana of Lovers that shall grant thee new power.**_

...

 _Got it_. He accepted the voice within him.

"We should get going, we can catch the next train if we hurry," Ann said, deciding to call it a day.

"Right." Kazuma stood up, picking up his bag of treats. He reached in and pulled out something. "Ann?"

"Hmm?" She questioned as he handed her what appeared to be pocky which, unbeknownst to him, was one of her favorite snacks.

"This is for you." He presented her a gift. "I was going to give it to you. As... an apology." He looked away, a little embarrassed.

"Well, look at you actually being nice." She teased a little.

"Will you take it already?" He glared at her for her teasing as she took the pocky from him.

"Thanks, Kazuma-kun." She said, opening the pocky. "Oh wait, should I call you Kei from now on?"

"Stick with Kazuma without the formalities. It's my preference." He told her.

"Alright then. I'll be counting on you, Kazuma." She said.

"And I you, Ann." He nodded

With the two finally burying the hatchet between them, they both departed for the train station, ready to put an end to this horrible day.

* * *

Kazuma had arrived at Beuty Heights after parting ways with Ann. Tori wasn't at her desk so she was probably in her room. He entered his apartment and placed his bag by the door.

He could feel his stomach rumbling, even that crepe from earlier didn't sate his appetite. Since he didn't have dinner today, he checked the fridge to see if Tori made him anything.

Sure enough, she did.

"Tonkatsu. God bless Tori Ichihara." He took the dish from the fridge and heated it up. Once that was done, he set it on the table before devouring the meal.

Once that was done, Kazuma placed his dishes in the sink and was ready to go to bed before he noticed something on the table he didn't notice earlier as he was too engrossed in his meal.

"Oh my god." He almost couldn't believe the sight and it made him feel a little guilty for eating that crepe earlier.

Sitting on the table was nothing more than Kazuma's favorite dessert of all time.

The Black and White Cookie.

The delicious cross between a cookie and a cake stood before him on a small plate. This cookie, one side vanilla and one side chocolate, the best of both worlds, was Kazuma's favorite dessert which he loved as a kid.

He remembered the times his Mom would bake him one and he made sure to savor every bit of it.

He picked up the cookie and slowly but surely, took a small bite. The taste was heavenly and it took all of his willpower not to consume the cookie in one bite. He took another, and then another, savoring the taste of the cookie.

Once it was all gone, he realized something about this cookie. The way it looked, the way it tasted. It was just like how Mom used to make and Tori made it just for him.

He didn't know what it was, whether it was the sugar he had consumed in the last hour, everything that happened today, or a combination of both, but Kazuma found himself crying again.

"God, why am I such an idiot?" He cursed himself. This time, he wasn't angry at Kamoshida or the world. He was angry at himself.

Angry at how he had been treating people, how he had been treating Ren who genuinely wanted to be his friend. For calling out Ryuji about his leg when he had no right to. For being mean to Ann instead of offering protection like he did to Shiho. He was angry at himself for being a stupid selfish loner who pushed people away for the sake of his own solitude. His parents would be ashamed of him for how he had been living the last two years.

But more than that, he was angry at how he had been treating Tori, one of the few people in the entire world that still gave a shit about him.

He wanted to fix this. He NEEDED to fix this and make things right.

"Kazzy-kun!" He heard her enter his apartment, shutting the door and walked over to him. "I see you found the treat I left you. I knew you couldn't resist. It's your favorite after..." She noticed that he was crying. "Kazzy-kun?"

He didn't respond with words, he responded the best way he knew how.

With actions.

He stood up and wrapped his arms around Tori, startling her by the sudden hug.

"K-Kazzy-kun?!" She was caught off guard as he suddenly hugged her.

"Tori. I'm so sorry." He cried into her shoulder as he apologized.

"Sorry?" She was confused by his apology. "What's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong, Tori. Everything." He said, tightening his arms around her to make sure she was there. "Y-You've done so much for me. You put a roof over my head, you put food on my plate, you gave me my own apartment and I never even thanked you for it. I'm so sorry."

"Kazzy-kun." Having found out why he was so upset, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug.

"My family they're... they're gone. I can't ever get them back. But you, you're here Tori." He continued even as more tears started to form. "You're the only family I have left. I don't want to lose you simply because I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Kazzy-kun. It's OK. I understand." She offered sweet words, rubbing his back for comfort. "I know I can't replace Atsuro-kun and Yuko-san. I never will. But I want you to know that in this building, in this room, you are loved and I will do everything in my power to remind you of that every day." She said, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Kazzy-kun."

"I... I love you too, Tori." He told her, truthfully and honestly.

"Now turn that frown upside down." She said, released him from their hug before clapping her hands together, smiling. "I have an idea on how we can get rid of this negative energy."

"I'll take anything right now." He admitted.

"All right! Wait here!" She excused herself, entering his bedroom and then came out with something he had been meaning to open up again.

"That's..." He noticed that she was holding his guitar in her hands.

"Mmhmm." She nodded. "I was wondering if you could play me a song."

"I..." He started to blush, still not use to playing in front of others. He had put his singing days behind him and decided that it wasn't worth it anymore.

"Cmon, Kazzy-kun. Please. Don't you remember when you were young and I tried to sing you a lullaby to help you fall asleep." She brought up a memory.

"I said it was lame because there was no music so I played my guitar while you sang to me." He remembered.

"And we ended up singing together." She then gave him the guitar. "I think it's time you got back into it."

Holding the guitar in his hands it felt right. It made him happy again which is something he really needed after today.

"OK." He nodded, sitting down on the couch along with Tori.

"So, what are you playing for me today?" She asked curiously.

"How about an old favorite?" He started tuning the instrument to his liking. "This one's called 'Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There'."

"Oooh! I haven't heard you play that since you were 10." She smiled widely and then snapped her fingers. "From the top, Kazzy-kun!"

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe life will change.

Maybe... his life will change.

* * *

 **Will you look at that. Bet you weren't expecting Ann and Kazuma to bury the hatchet, or for Kazuma to break down like that. To be honest, I was close to breaking down myself.**

 **So as you can see, I created my own version on how Ren gains multiple Persona as I believe the whole talking to shadows and convincing them to become your Personas would be a little difficult to pull off. And before you say I'm going overpowered by bringing Ara Mitama this early in the fic, take note of what happened to Ren after using just one of its skills. Nearly drained him. He'll have to train harder to use such skills again.**

 **I also have some good news. Thanks to a sudden change in Kazuma's confidant roster, I was able to include a new OC created by my friend BlackDomus500. I'm not going to spoil who he/she is but I think you'll be in for a surprise.**

 **Til next time.**


	14. The Game Plan

**Heckle yeah! Back again with another chapter!**

 **Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with my new job and as of last week, I have graduated from college so lots of celebration with family.**

 **About two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to have a voice chat session with fellow readers AristoMercu, ReallyLazyReader, and others. We were able to just sit down, talk about our fics, our stories, other things involving Persona 5 and it really was a blast to be able to get to know them on a personal level. Through this fic, I've been able to reach out and befriend many readers and reviewers who help critique my stories and help me improve them for the better. Please, if you're a fan of Persona 5 or the Persona series in general, go read their stories, they're incredible writers and you will love their works.**

 **Let's start the fic off with some shoutouts. First one goes to The Celestial Sky Dragon for their fic, _Codename: Songbird_. Second goes to ElizaxNiggasaki for their fic _I'mNot a Stalker?_ I'm sure you'll like it if you like ProtagonistXMakoto.**

 **Without further ado, here's the 14th chapter**.

* * *

Having arrived at Yongen-Jaya, Ren began walking to Leblanc to call it a day. However, he kept checking his phone on the way as he was hoping that either Ann or Kazuma would send him a text that everything was OK. He was sure that Kazuma wouldn't just quit, especially after everything that's happened. With what they've learned about his relationship with Suzui, he would definitely not walk away from this.

He made a note to shoot a text to them later, right now, he needed to figure out a way to convince Sojiro to let Morgana stay with him. Even if he were to sneak past him today and hide the cat for a little while, he deduced that at some point, Sojiro would find out about him eventually. Considering that he's already freeloading in his coffee shop, the odds weren't exactly in his favor.

For the time being since they have work to do in the coming days, he would hold off on telling him.

He arrived at Leblanc a little later and found Sojiro behind the counter. However, the store wasn't empty as it usually was. There was a customer here who had just finished handing the cafe owner money for her coffee. Her outfit really made her stand out. Her accessories included a choker, a bracelet, and a necklace. Her attire consisted of a short black jacket, a blue dress with a white spiderweb design, and black ripped leggings.

All in all, this woman's style of clothing really screamed "punk rock".

"Thanks for coming, Doctor," Sojiro said, accepting her payment for the coffee.

 _Doctor?_ He thought. She wasn't exactly dressed like one. Is it possible she runs that clinic here?

"Have a good day, Sakura-san." She said as she turned to head to the door only to find someone blocking the way. "Hmm?"

"Uh..." Ren muttered, not really knowing what to say to this stranger as her eyes fixated on him.

"You're late. Again." Sojiro brought up at the sight of his ward.

"Sorry." He offered an apology, turning back to the woman and bowed politely as he realized he was in her away. "Good evening, ma'am." With that, he walked past her.

"You new around here?" She called out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Huh?" He turned around to face her fully as he understood that she was talking to him.

"I've seen you pass by my clinic a few times. You and that brown-haired kid." She brought up.

"Brown-haired kid?" Sojiro questioned, just wondering who his ward was affiliating with.

"You could say I'm the new kid in town." Ren adjusted his glasses as he introduced himself. "Ren Amamiya, pleasure to meet you."

"Hmm." She brought a hand to her chin as she looked him up and down as if to analyze him. She then grinned for some reason as a thought entered her head. "You'd make a good test subject."

"Oh?" He questioned as to what she meant by that.

"Doctor, don't tease the boy." The cafe owner grumbled a little at her words.

"Anyway, I should be going." She then turned around and opened the door, preparing to leave but not before giving the boy one last look. "See you around, Ren Amamiya."

And with that, she took her leave.

 _Well... She's nice_. Ren chuckled a little before turning to the cafe owner.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"Oh, that customer just now?" Sojiro replied. "She's the head doctor over at that clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that's what I've heard. I haven't been there myself."

 _Homemade medicine? Is that even legal?_ Ren wondered.

"They should really just leave her alone. It's not like she's getting in the way of their lives." The cafe owner added.

"Homemade medicines, huh?" He heard Morgana whisper in his bag. "Sounds suspicious but we should definitely take note of that. It might be useful."

"Morgana. Shut up." Ren shushed him.

"What the?" Sojiro looked around, a bit confused as to what he had heard.

"Something on your mind, Sakura-san?" The probationer asked.

"I could've sworn I just heard a cat or something." He looked around his store but saw nothing so just shook his head and moved on. "Well, I've gotta get home and start making dinner."

"Have a good night, sir." Ren waved goodbye as he walked up the stairs.

Now away from Sojiro, he set his bag down on the bed and allowed Morgana his freedom. Once the cat was free from the confines of that wretched school bag, he looked around to check out his new residence.

"What the...?!" He seemed a bit disappointed. "What is this place?! Is this some kind of abandoned house?!"

"Nope. This is home." Ren chuckled a little at his reaction. "Welcome to Casa De Amamiya."

"This place looks like a storage room or something." The cat grumbled a little.

The sudden noise of footsteps broke him from his conversation. He turned around and saw that Sojiro was still here, approaching him.

"What is that noise I keep-" He then noticed that there was a cat on his bed and realized that he wasn't just hearing things. "I was wondering why I heard meowing."

 _Oh, right. Only me and the others are able to understand Morgana_. Ren noted.

"What did you bring it here for?!" He demanded to know why he would bring a cat to his coffee shop.

"Well..." He knew that he would've found out eventually, he just didn't think it would be this soon. But, what's done is done, the best thing to do is adapt and deal with this situation. "It followed me here from school. It doesn't have a collar so I think it doesn't have a home."

"A stray, huh?" He sighed. He did feel bad for the cat if it didn't have a home but still, for Ren to keep him would mean he would reside in his cafe. "Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go." He said but then an idea popped into his head as there might be benefits to having his ward care for the cat. "Though, I guess you might stay on good behavior if you've got a pet to take care of."

"So, I can keep him?" He questioned.

"Fine." He nodded. "But keep it quiet when we're open for business. And don't let it roam downstairs, or I'll toss it out."

"This guy's pretty harsh," Morgana noted quietly.

"Oh, and I'm not gonna take care of it. That's all on you." Sojiro finished.

"Thank you Sakura-san." Ren bowed politely. This turned out better than he anticipated.

"Yeah, yeah." He shrugged off his thanks as he went back downstairs.

 _I had a feeling he would come around_. He thought. Sojiro might be a bit of a hard-ass, but he wasn't unreasonable. He saw a silver lining to having him keep a pet and decided it was OK.

"Was that the ruler of this place?" Morgana asked.

"Yep, and you my friend had the honor of receiving your very own eviction threat." Ren joked. "Odds are, you'll be getting a lot of those."

"Hmm?" The cat thought about the cafe owner. "He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a meowing cat."

He heard footsteps once again and saw Sojiro walking towards him with a plate of food, likely for Morgana as he set the plate down on the bed next to him.

"Seriously. It had to keep calling out in that cute little voice." He complained before turning to Ren. "Make sure you wash that dish."

"Yes, sir." He replied.

"By the way, have you decided on a name?" The cafe owner curiously wondered.

"I have. His name is Morgana." He introduced the cat to his guardian.

"Morgana? huh." He said but grumbled a little, clearly disappointed. "I was hoping I'd get to name it." And with that he left, calling it a day.

The cat walked over to the dish and took a whiff of the food. It smelled delicious that he purred in excitement.

"Looks like the chief likes me better than you." He playfully mocked.

"What was that, Morgana? I couldn't really hear you but I think you said 'No problem Ren, I'm fine with sleeping outside'." He teasingly threatened.

"You know, you have quite the acid tongue." He pointed out before taking a look around. "To be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida's cells."

"It's not the best looking room in the world, but it's definitely something," Ren said, taking pride in this room as he helped make it into what it is now.

"Remember how you guys asked me before about what I am?" He asked and Ren nodded, sitting down to hear the cat out. "To be honest, I don't remember anything about my birth."

"You think it has something to do with the Palace?" He questioned.

"I do. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form." He said solemnly.

"And this true form was human, correct?" He asked.

"It has to be!" Morgana insisted. "I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There's no other possible explanation. There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll finally get that self back."

"Well, at least you're optimistic." Ren complimented the cat.

"I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That's why I was in the castle in the first place." He said before the aroma of the dish next to him overwhelmed his senses. He turned to face the food and the sight nearly made him drool. "Come to think of it, I didn't get hungry over in that world."

"Seriously?" Now that was a bit worrying. "When was the last time you ate? Or slept?"

"Don't know. Now, if you'll excuse me." Morgana began to eat the food Sojiro prepared for him. He had no idea what it was but the taste was heavenly. After a while, he finished the dish and licked it clean.

Ren took the dish and walked downstairs to place it in the sink. Once that was done, he walked back up to continue his talk with Morgana.

"Let me make myself clear: Your taking care of me won't be for nothing. It'll be give and take." He explained. "Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools."

"Infiltration tools?" He questioned, the sound of that was very intriguing. "Tell me more."

"Whoa, I can't tell you more unless we settle on a deal," Morgana explained. "In exchange for you keeping me here, I'll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me. You've got yourself a deal." He then held his hand out and allowed the cat to shake his hand.

"Good choice." The cat replied.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Morgana." Ren smiled.

"You too, Joker."

Morgana seemed happy with this arrangement. Hopefully, his knowledge of infiltration tools will prove useful in their mission to stop Kamoshida.

...

...

* * *

...

...

Once again, Sae had stopped him in the middle of him telling her his story. He put his hand down and looked at her, wondering what she had to say this time.

"Skillful infiltrations and escapes to all manner of places." She brought up. "There's even the possibility that you used special tools and had someone who manufactured them." He chuckled lightly at that statement but she didn't find it funny. "Answer me!"

"Well, you know us kids, Sae," Ren smirked at her. "We love our arts and crafts."

...

...

* * *

...

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **It shall become the wings of rebellion**_

 _ **that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **With the birth of the Magician Persona,**_

 _ **I have obtained the blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.**_

...

 _All right_. He heard the voice and accepted his partnership with Morgana. With luck, a new Persona will be born from it.

"I'll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time," Morgana said. "By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. I never thought anyone could be capable of using two Personas."

"I was surprised myself, to be honest." He said, as he didn't expect to get a new Persona. Ara Mitama came in handy as he was able to save Ann from certain death. However, he should stick with Arsene for the time being until he adapts to the new Persona as using it once nearly drained him.

"The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it'll be as a trump card." He stated. "Personas are the strength born from one's heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it'll affect that power as well! And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too."

 _Jesus, he sounds like Igor_. Ren thought as he sat down on his bed.

"I'm expecting great things from you. Brown-Hair too. Don't let me down, OK." He finished.

"No problem, bud," Ren said as he gave the cat a little pat on the head.

"Speaking of Brown-Hair. Any word from Lady Ann?" The cat brought up.

 _Oh right_. He remembered that he needed to text one of them to see if everything was all right. He pulled out his phone and saw a few texts from Ann.

 **Ann: Ren?**

 **Ann: Ren? You there?**

 **Ren: Sorry. Morgana kinda talked my ear off.**

 **Ann: I can't imagine that was pleasant.**

 **Ren: You have no idea. How's Kazuma doing?**

 **Ann: He's fine. Can I call you?**

 **Ren: Sure.**

He waited a few minutes when suddenly his phone rang.

"Who's that?" Morgana asked.

"It's Ann." He got off his bed as he answered the phone. "Hey, Ann."

"Hey, Ren." She greeted.

"Lady Ann?! Ooh! Let me talk to her!" The cat pleaded.

"Morgana says hi," Ren said, refusing to give the cat the phone. "What's up?"

"I spoke with Kazuma." She told him. "He's all right. In fact, he and I are OK now. He apologized for what he said to me and we were able to clear the tension between us."

"I'm glad to hear that. You deserved one." He smiled, glad that Ann and his partner were able to bury the hatchet but also because Kazuma apologized for his rude treatment towards Ann. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a lot better now, thanks to you." She told him. "You saved my life, Ren. You helped me break free of Kamoshida's clutches for good. I don't know what would've happened to me if you hadn't shown up."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You saved my life too, remember." He brought up. "You broke free because you're strong, Ann. I just helped you remember that."

"You really think I'm strong?" She genuinely wanted to know.

"Of course, I do." He said. "I meant it when I said you were one of the strongest people I know."

"That... really means a lot to me, Ren." She said and he could hear some sniffles in her voice, indicating that she was crying a little. "I'm sorry. It's just been so hard. And now with Shiho..."

"I know." He nodded, understanding that there was still some lingering sadness. This has been a horrible day. "We're going to stop him, Ann. Once he's gone, he'll never hurt her or you ever again."

"You're right." She said. "You're so nice, Ren. Really, you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. How do you do it? Everyone at school thinks you're just some criminal. How do you put up with that and still be so kind?"

"Because I know who and what I am." He told her. "As long as I'm true to myself, mere rumors are just noise to me."

"I wish I was like that." She said. "Can I ask for a favor?"

"Of course. What is it?" He asked, ready to perform whatever favor she asked of him.

"I know it's a school night but, could you stay on for a while? I like talking to you and I really don't want to go to sleep right now." She asked.

"Absolutely. I'll stay on as long as you want." He smiled, laying down on the bed. Morgana curled up to him as he decided to hit the sack.

"So... what do you want to talk about?" She wondered awkwardly. She did ask him to stay on with her but now that they were doing it, she really didn't know what to say.

"Tell me about yourself." He requested. "Your favorite movie, book, Tv show, even your color. Give me the inside scoop of Ann Takamaki."

"All right then." She said cheeringly as she readied for what would probably be a long conversation.

"They seem to get along," Morgana noted as he overheard their long talk. A bit of jealousy coursed through him as he noticed the apparent closeness of Ren and Ann. "Meh, I'm not worried." He simply thought as he fell asleep.

* * *

"Huh?"

Kazuma opened his eyes, expecting to find himself back in Philemon's tower again but found himself elsewhere. He looked around and saw that he was on the school rooftop of all places, lying down in one of the metal chairs.

"How did I get here?" He wondered. He last remembered playing a song to Tori before going to bed, wanting to put the horrible day behind him. And now, he was here.

He got up from his chair and looked around. There was no one else here so his first thought was to leave the rooftop. He walked over to the door and tried to open it only to find it locked.

"What is going on here?" Kazuma frowned as the situation was getting weird.

"There you are!"

"Huh?" He heard a voice behind him. He knew who it belonged to but he couldn't believe it. He turned around and couldn't believe his eyes as Shiho stood before him.

"S-Shiho?!" He stumbled, unable to believe that she was here. Her face contained no traces of bruises and her smile said much about how she was feeling. She was happy.

"What took you so long?! I've been waiting, you goof!" Shiho said as she walked over to him and gave him a hug, catching him off guard.

"Wha?!" He gasped, taken aback by the sudden embrace. The way she hugged him brought back memories to that day, when he saved her from those assholes, brought her to a private place where she could tell him the truth, and then hugged him after walking her home.

This time though, he didn't hug back as he was still in shock from seeing her again.

"Geez, Kei. Why are you so stiff?" She wondered as she let him go.

"Shiho? W-What's going on?" He asked if only to get a grasp on the situation.

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you forgot?" She chastised him, flicking him on the forehead. "I wanted to have lunch with you again. So, here we are." She smiled. "I have to say, you're quite the risk taker. If a teacher catches us, we'll definitely get in trouble."

"I... um." He didn't know what to say.

"Eh, what the hell. It's not like anyone else comes up here. Now stop standing there like you just saw a ghost and come sit with me." She grabbed his hand and lead him over to the desk. Once she sat down, she patted the space next to her, inviting him to sit with her. Hesitantly, he sat down next to her.

How is this possible? This can't be real. She was acting like nothing happened, that she never...

"S-Shiho." He whispered. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" She looked at him confused. "Kei, are you OK? You're acting a little weird."

"I... I just..." He shut his mouth, unable to form the words and chose to look away, unable to face her.

"Hey, why are you so upset?" She asked with concern. "You're not nervous about hanging out with me this Saturday are you?"

"Huh?" He turned back to her, wondering what she meant. "Saturday?"

"Duh, Kei." She giggled at his forgetfulness. "We're going to Sing-Sing Karaoke again, remember? You promised after all."

"Oh, that." He did remember that promise. The promise to go back to Karaoke again, only to actually sing. "Yeah. I did promise."

"Yep, and you can't take it back, you know?" She winked and stuck her tongue out. "Or maybe you can, you know... just like how you promised to protect me..."

"S-Shiho?" He was caught off guard by the tone of that last sentence and how her smile instantly turned into a hateful scowl.

"...and you broke it. You broke our promise." She said before getting up from the desk and walked towards the edge of the roof.

"Shiho!" He got up from the desk and went after her.

"Stay away from me!" She turned around and demanded him to stay back. "You lied to me! You said you would protect me but you lied!"

"S-Shiho..." He whimpered at her words, they cut right to the core. "I wasn't lying. I was trying to help you."

"Lies! You made me feel safe but when I needed you the most, you abandoned me!" She screamed out as tears fell down her face. "You left me all alone... with him."

"I'm so sorry." His eyes began to water at her accusations, unable to say anything in defense.

"I guess I should've known just what kind of person you are, Kei Kazuma. All you do is make people suffer." She accused. "You try to help but you destroy everything you touch. Everyone you care about, everything you touch dies." With that, she turned around and spread her arms out.

Kazuma knew what she was going to do and so he rushed over to her before she could do it.

" **EVERYONE!** "

But he was too late as she leaped from the roof to her death before he could reach her.

"NOOOOOOO!"

* * *

"Shiho!" He immediately shot up with his arm reaching out as if she was still in arms reach.

As he looked around, he found himself not on the school rooftop but in the safe confines of his bed. He was breathing heavily and sweating bullets as he realized that he was just having a nightmare. He wiped some sweat from his forehead as he got out of bed. He looked at his phone and saw that it was about 3 in the morning, still a few hours before school.

"Is it too much to ask for a decent night's sleep?" He groaned as he put his phone down and head to the bathroom.

As he entered, he walked over to the sink and turned it on, putting his hands together to collect some water, and then splashed it on his face. He did this a second time before placing his hands on the counter, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down.

"Shiho..." Even though it was just a dream, he still got to see her again. She was so happy and cheerful, emanating that same warm friendship that she offered him only for it to betray him as she turned hateful and blamed him for everything. For not being at school, for not keeping his promise, for not being able to stop Kamoshida.

He tried to follow Ann's advice and not blame himself anymore, but what happened still had a hold over him. But that would change soon. In the next couple of days, he will finally get justice for Shiho and force the monster who hurt her to confess his crimes. Just knowing that may allow him to sleep well for the next few hours.

"Alright. Back to be... what?" Kazuma looked at himself in the mirror, seeing his own reflection and saw something that caught him off guard. He leaned closer just to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. "What is... what the..."

As he got closer he noticed a change in his eye color. His original dark blue iris' were no longer there, his eyes now glowing a bloody red color. He brought his hands to his face as he gazed into the mirror, the sight terrified him.

"AGH!" A wave of pain entered his head, shutting his eyes closed as he clutched his head. It was only for a brief second as the pain soon faded. He looked up once more and saw that his eyes were now their original dark blue.

Deciding enough was enough, he chose to put this behind him and simply went to bed to try and get some sleep.

"It's Saturday." He thought. "Shiho and I were supposed to go Karaoke today. I promised her."

Another promise he failed to keep.

* * *

 **4/16 - Saturday**

Ren woke up, ate the meal provided to him by Sojiro, and left with Morgana hidden away in his bag. As he left Leblanc and made his way to the train station, he noticed that Kazuma has yet to arrive. He thought about waiting for him at his apartment building but decided against it. He figured his fellow transfer student was just running a little late and would show up before the train arrives. On the bright side, it won't be just Kazuma that he'll be greeting this morning.

Right on cue, he noticed Ann walking down the stairs. So she really does live around here? The moment she noticed him, she started to walk over to him, greeting him with a smile.

"Good morning, Ren." Ann greeted.

"Morning Ann." He replied.

"Lady Ann!" Morgana's head popped out of Ren's bag. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Morgana." She gave a little pat on his head before turning back to Ren. "Did you sleep well?"

"As we as I could. A certain "someone" nearly kept me up all night." He joked.

"Oh, please. It's your own fault for asking too many questions." She fired back, giggling a little. "Still, thank you. I really enjoyed talking with you."

"Same." He nodded, sharing the same sentiment.

"Oh? What did you guys talk about?" Morgana inquired. He knew they were talking on the phone but he was so tired he tuned out their entire phone conversation.

"Well, we uh..." Ren stumbled over his words as he and Ann talked a lot last night and because of the cat's crush on her, he'd get jealous for sure. "Ann was just telling me about her talk with Kazuma."

"So, Brown-Hair's not quitting? The cat asked curiously.

"Nope. He's on board 100%" Ann informed him.

"That's good. You don't know this Lady Ann, but Ren and Brown-Hair are like an unstoppable team in the Palace. These two have great chemistry." He pointed out.

Ren and Ann took a moment to comprehend what the cat just said as they looked at one another with a grimace at the choice of words Morgana used to describe his partnership with Kazuma.

"Uh, Morgana?" The probationer had to inquire. "Where did you learn that phrase?"

"I overheard some girls at your school saying that you and Brown-Hair have great chemistry." He told him which worsened Ren's grimace at finding out what the students of Shujin assumed of him and Kazuma. "Why? You don't agree?"

"Well. It's just, I know what you meant. But, that word means something else." He tried his best to explain that when you say two people have 'chemistry' together, it doesn't mean a great partnership but rather, a different type of partnership.

"Well, what does it mean?" Morgana asked.

"Should I tell him?" Ren whispered to Ann.

"Nah, I don't think he'll get it." She shook her head and tried to change the subject so they wouldn't talk about this anymore. "So, basically they work well together?"

"Yep." The cat nodded. "I'm glad you were able to talk things out with him. I expected no less from you, Lady Ann."

In the midst of their talk, they noticed the man in question walking down the stairs. He looked dead tired and he wore his usual glare on his face. Although once again, that's probably just his normal expression. He walked over to where they were standing to join them.

"Hey, Kazuma." Ren greeted.

"Morning, Brown-Hair." Morgana did as well.

"Hey." He gave a simple greeting, turning to see that Ann was here too.

"Good morning, Kazuma." She gave him a friendly greeting.

"Ann." He nodded at her.

"Well, look at you two." Ren placed his hands in his pockets, smiling in approval. "About time you guys finally got along."

"S-Shut up." He looked away. "It's not like we hated each other or anything."

"You showed up right on time, we were just talking about you." Ann brought up.

"Oh?" He questioned, wondering why the two were discussing him.

"Yep, Morgana says that you and I have good chemistry." Ren took the moment to tease him with the cat's words from earlier. This worked as Kazuma frowned with disgust from what he had heard.

"He said what?" He frowned. "Does he know that phrase means something else?"

"That's what I said!" Ren exclaimed before he started laughing, now finding the situation humorous. Ann did as well, laughing alongside the probationer. Morgana seemed confused as he didn't know what was so funny while Kazuma simply shook his head in annoyance and disapproval.

"You guys are weird." He said as he walked past them toward the train that finally arrived.

"He's a lot friendlier, isn't he?" Ann noticed that Kazuma was less hostile then he was before.

"Yeah, he is." Ren smiled as he was glad that his partner was less rude than he usually is, very proud of Ann for playing a part in it. "Thank you, Ann. For talking with him."

"Well, a great guy once told me he couldn't ignore me when I was suffering. Even if Kazuma was a jerk to me, I couldn't just ignore him." She said in reminisce to Ren helping her when she was in pain.

"A great guy, huh? Sounds like someone important." Ren joked even though he knew she was talking about him.

"He is. I think you'd like him." She teased in return as she left to board the train.

"I think you're right." He smiled as he followed the two to the train.

* * *

Once they arrived at the school, Ren and Ann entered Class 2-D, parting ways with Kazuma as they took their seats. Due to them walking in together, many of their classmates started whispering, talking about them. Ren chose to ignore them as he knew that people were already making tall tales about him and Ann being a couple.

Meanwhile, Morgana took the moment to enter Ren's cubby, perfectly seated so no one could see him.

As classes went on, he felt his phone vibrated, showing a new text from the group chat. He saw that Ann was peeking over her shoulder to signal that she received a text as well. He pulled out his phone to answer the texts.

 **Ryuji: Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?**

 **Kazuma: Hideout?**

 **Ren: Oh, that's right, you had already left. We decided to make the school rooftop our base of operations.**

 **Ann: Don't text now. We're in class.**

 **Ryuji: Whoa! You mean you're actually listening to all this crap?**

 **Ann: Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today.**

 **Ryuji: I know, right?**

 **Kazuma: You two done? I'm trying to pay attention here.**

 **Ryuji: Bullshit, dude. You don't even take notes.**

 **Kazuma: So what? I still listen, unlike you.**

 **Ren: All right kids, calm down.**

 **Ryuji: Anyways, hideout after school?**

 **Ann: You said the hideout's on the roof, right? Are we allowed to go up there?**

 **Ryuji: It's usually unlocked. Nobody goes up there so we should be good.**

 **Ren: Sounds good to me. See you guys later.**

With that, the group chat was over. Ren and Ann placed their phones back into their pockets and continued on with Mr. Ushimura's lecture. However, their focus was torn from the teacher as they heard whispers coming from classmates nearby.

"So, he's finally getting expelled?"

"Yep. Not surprised. Once a criminal always a criminal."

It appears word got out that they were set for expulsion, likely Kamoshida's doing no less. He looked to see Ann clenching her pencil rather tightly that it was close to breaking.

"Shut up, you stupid bitches." Ren heard Ann whisper only loud enough so he could hear her. "You don't know him."

It made him smile to hear his friend defend him like that. They continued to listen in as it appeared that they weren't finished with their gossip.

"I heard Sakamoto-kun is getting expelled too. It was about time the school got rid of that loser."

"It's not just him, the transfer student in his class is getting expelled too."

"Kazuma-kun? Why him?"

"I heard he's the reason Suzui-san tried to kill herself."

The moment they heard that Ren and Ann's eyes widened with shock and confusion for the accusation that just came out of that student's mouth.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Turns out he was bullying her and that's why she jumped."

"I thought they were dating?"

"Guess that was bullshit. But seriously, can you believe that guy? Showing up to school after what he did?"

"What a jerk."

With this, Ren could no longer focus on the lecture as he was now very worried. He couldn't believe his ears as those students basically accused Kazuma of being the catalyst for Shiho's suicide attempt. And he knew deep down who made this happen.

 _Kamoshida_. He growled a little. _Is there no level to how low you'll sink?_

* * *

Once classes had ended, Kazuma placed his materials in his bag and zipped it up. Ryuji did the same as well, placing everything in his bag before getting up to stretch his arms after another day of boring classes. He was so focused on the mission he didn't really pay attention to any of the lectures. Since there were not test coming he figured there was nothing to worry about.

"Huh?" Before he picked up his bag, he noticed that some of his classmates were giving him nasty looks. Some were whispering amongst themselves while still keeping their eyes trained on him. He didn't know if he was just seeing things so he asked his classmate. "Hey, dude?"

"Hmm?" Kazuma got up from his seat when Ryuji got his attention.

"Is it just me, or is everyone giving me the stink eye?" He asked.

He looked around and saw his classmates glaring at not just Ryuji, but also him as well. What was going on?

"So, it was his fault?"

"I can't believe Principal Kobayakawa is letting him walk around here after what he did?!"

"Seriously. I always knew he was a jerk but to bully Suzui? What an asshole."

"Bully?" Ryuji heard that and turned to his classmate in confusion. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Um, Kazuma-kun?"

Their attention was broke when they heard someone call out Kazuma's name. They turned to see their class representative, Emi Matsumoto, addressing Kazuma with what appeared to be a worrying expression.

"Matsumoto?" He questioned. He was honestly surprised she still wanted to talk to him. Their last talk didn't go so well, with him telling her off for trying to make conversation with him.

"I was wondering if you've heard. People are saying terrible things about you." She informed them.

"What things?" He crossed his arms, wanting to know what people had to say about him now.

"I've heard rumors that, well. That you were bullying Suzui-san. And that's why she... she..." She winced as it was too painful to talk about.

Kazuma and Ryuji's eyes widened at the news.

"Bullied?! For real?!" The spiky blonde exclaimed as he couldn't believe that's what people were saying about Kazuma. "What the hell is this shit?! Kazuma never bullied anyone!"

"Calm down, Sakamoto-kun," Emi warned.

"So that's why people are giving me dirty looks." He theorized. "So, why are you telling me this, Matsumoto? You want to know if it's true or not?"

"No, nothing like that." She shook her head in disapproval at his assumption. "I wanted to know if you were OK."

"What?" He was confused. He expected her to press him for information about whether or not the rumor was true. Instead, she was concerned for his well-being.

"False rumors are the worst." She told him. "I just wanted to know if you were all right."

He couldn't even believe it. This girl had every right to hate him. He was mean to her, tried to ignore her, and pushed away her attempts at conversation. So why was she still being nice to him? More importantly, why didn't she believe the rumors?

Whatever the reason, it made just made him feel horrible.

"Thanks, Matsumoto." He said.

"Thanks?" She raised an eyebrow, confused at his gratitude. "For what?"

"For putting up with a jerk like me." He said as he grabbed his bag and left, heading out of the classroom.

"Hey! Wait up, dude!" Ryuji grabbed his bag.

"Kazuma-kun," Emi whispered as she watches him and Sakamoto leave the classroom, thinking on the words he said

As he left the classroom, Ryuji caught up to him.

"Dude, hold up." He said, stopping his classmate in his tracks. "You good?"

"I'm fine." He said even though these new rumors about him were stabbing at his heart. He had dealt with bullshit rumors before at his old school. But this?

"Kamoshida had something to do with this," Ryuji growled, knowing it was him who spread these false rumors about his classmate. "That son of a bitch."

"Well, if it isn't the scum of Shujin."

They heard someone call out to them. They turned and saw two students in their gym uniforms approaching them with hateful expressions. Ryuji recognized them as members of the volleyball team and sneered at the sight of them for their insult

"The hell do you guys want?" The spiky blonde asked.

"We heard you were getting expelled, Sakamoto. It's about time the Principal got rid of you." The boy on the right said.

"You and Amamiya got some nerve threatening Mr. Kamoshida." The other one said. "Criminal trash like you and him don't belong here."

"You mother-" Ryuji was getting pissed off at these two for their insults when they don't know the truth.

"You want to say that to Ren's face?" Kazuma intervened which turned their attention away from Ryuji and was now focused on him. "It's easy to talk big behind someone's back."

"You bastard." One of them growled. "After what you did to Suzui, You've got some nerve showing your face around here."

"She was our teammate you piece of shit." The other glared. "And because of you, she tried to kill herself!"

"I hope you get thrown in jail after they expel your ass. That's where you belong." He proclaimed.

He was trying to keep his cool but hearing them accuse him of bullying Shiho, of being the reason she's in a coma, it was starting to falter. The worst was hearing these guys talk about her like she was their friend. It really pissed him off.

"Eff off, you assholes!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Leave him alone! He never...!"

"You two are disgusting." Kazuma interrupted him.

Ryuji turned to him after he heard him and recognized that glare of his. It wasn't his usual glare that he had, it was the same one he wore when he gained his Persona, one that showed that he was royally pissed off and desired vengeance. These two assholes were gonna get it now.

"What did you say?" One of them sneered.

"You heard me." He threw the insult one more time. "The fact that you idiots believe every little lie that comes out of that douchebag's mouth is just gross. I almost feel sorry for you and your stupid team. And for the record, none of you gave a damn about Shiho so stop acting like she was your friend."

"Y-You...!" The other one got angry at his words. "You trying to start something with us?!"

"What are you going to do? Throw a punch? Go ahead. Actually, I'm begging you to do it. I'm getting expelled right? That means I have nothing to lose." He growled at them, causing them to back off as they could tell he was serious.

"Y-You.." The student stepped back as fear overtook his body. "Y-You're crazy, new kid."

"C-Cmon man. Let's get out of here." His friend said as the two turned tail and walked away.

With the two gone, Kazuma was finally able to calm down. He looked around and saw that some of the students overheard what just happened and took a few steps back out of fear. Even Ryuji himself looked petrified.

"Damn, dude. Remind me to never piss you off." He joked a little to ease the tension in the air.

"I..." Kazuma winced a bit, their comments leaving a bruise. "I would never hurt her."

"Dude," Ryuji whispered, knowing full well that despite his tough attitude, the rumors and those assholes really got to him. "Cmon man, let's go."

The spiky blonde gestured him to follow and so he did. They had a mission to complete and he wasn't going to let those douchebags deter him from it.

* * *

"You sure it's all right to use the rooftop as our hideout?" Ann asked.

"We've used it before and no one's caught us so I think we'll be Ok," Ren said.

After class, he and Ann started making their way up the stairs to the school rooftop. The blonde was a little concerned for her friend as students weren't allowed on the rooftop and given his circumstance, she feared that he would be punished severely should they get caught.

"I just don't want you to get in trouble." She voiced her concern.

"It'll be all right, Lady Ann." Morgana popped his head out from Ren's bag. "If anyone shows up, we can just warp to the Palace."

"We can do that?" Ren asked curiously.

"I don't see why not. Although where we end up, I'll have no idea." The cat shrugged.

They finally arrived, opening the door to the rooftop. It appeared empty so it looks like they were in the clear. Ann walked over to the desks and placed her bag on it.

"Looks like we're safe." She said before noticing that Ren's attention was elsewhere. "Ren?"

She looked to see that his attention was on the flowers that were planted on the rooftop.

"I can't believe I didn't notice these." He said as, with his previous visits to the roof, he didn't notice the gorgeous flowers that were planted.

"Do you have a favorite flower, Ren?" Ann asked curiously.

"I've always liked the cherry blossoms." He told her. "After all, it represents the fragility and the beauty of life."

"You're a flower guy?" Morgana questioned. "That's kinda lame."

"Well, I think it's cool." Ann complimented, earning her approval as she doesn't think it's lame or weird to like flowers.

"O-Oh, well if Lady Ann thinks it's cool then it must be." Morgana nervously muttered.

 _Nice save_. Ren rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit.

"U-Um. Excuse me?"

Ren jumped a little at the unknown voice and Morgana retreated back into the boy's bag to prevent himself from being caught. As it turns out, the rooftop wasn't as empty as he and Ann initially thought as another student made herself known, stepping from around the corner. Unlike the other students, she didn't wear the blazer, instead, she wore a pink turtleneck cardigan with short puffed sleeves and a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. She still wore the standard black and red tartan skirt, white tights with a black flower pattern and black Mary Jane shoes.

Odds are she was tending to the flowers as he looked past her to see even more flowers planted along with a watering can, likely watering the flowers before realizing she had visitors.

This posed a problem. If she told the staff that Ren and Ann were up here and that Kazuma and Ryuji were on their way, they could get in trouble.

"U-Uh!" Ann panicked as this was what she feared the most. They had been caught and she didn't know how to get out of it.

"Um, are you two allowed to be up here?" She asked politely although she seemed nervous as she had never met these two students nor did she have any clue as to who they were.

"Uh, n-no." The blonde shuddered.

"Then, may I ask why you are up here?" She asked again.

"W-Well. We were just..." Ann tried to come up with an excuse but her nerves were preventing her from doing so. "W-We..."

"My friend here told me there were some flowers planted up here." Just in time to save the day, Ren came to the rescue and came up with a good excuse. "I really wanted to see them."

"O-Oh. Is that so?" She seemed surprised by his response and appeared to believe his excuse. "Well, just be careful, OK? If you get caught up here without permission, you'll get in trouble."

"I understand." He gave a polite bow as it appears that she won't tell anyone that they're up here.

"I-If you don't mind me asking." She started again as she appeared to have more questions. "Would you happen to be one of the transfer students?"

"That's correct." He nodded, answering her question. "I'm Ren Amamiya of class 2-D. It's nice to meet you."

"2-D? Oh, you're _that_ transfer student." She muttered a little, now quiet upon learning just who he is.

Ann, on the other hand, did not like the way she phrased that at all, the way she said he was "that" transfer student as if he was some sort of disease. She was about to get off the table and tell her off but it appeared that this girl wasn't done with her questions.

"Is anyone giving you a hard time?" She asked curiously.

"Not really." He answered.

"I'm glad to hear that." She then surprised both him and Ann with a warm smile. "I know people have been making tall tales about you so I was worried you were having a hard time."

"Eh, the rumors aren't so bad. According to them, I kill squirrels and fashion them into clothing. I'd show you my latest design but I'm afraid I ran out of squirrels." He joked with her to ease the tension in the air.

And it seemed to have worked as this mysterious girl suddenly starting giggling at his joke, trying to hide the entirety of her laughter with her hand.

Ann remembered her first talk with Ren and he mentioned to her that one of the rumors stated that he killed squirrels and used their fur to make his clothes. It was the funniest thing she had ever heard. But hearing him use that same joke with this girl, who he had just met, she didn't know what it was but it didn't sit well with her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh." She said, finally calming down after a bout of laughter. "Well, I should be going. It was nice meeting you, Amamiya-kun."

"Call me Ren." He smiled. "I prefer it."

"W-Well, all right, Ren-kun." She blushed a bit from his kindness, offering a polite bow before making her way to the exit, leaving the rooftop.

"Well that was close," Ren said, letting out a breath of air he was holding in. He turned over to Ann and saw her eyes glued to the ground, her face contorted into a little frown. "Ann?"

"Huh?" She was torn from her thoughts as Ren called out to her. "O-Oh, yes! Good job, Ren. That was a close one."

"Right." He said, wondering why she seemed so deep in thought. "Do you know her?"

"Never seen her before." She stated.

"Really? You'd think she stand out with that pink sweater." He noted. "Well, she seemed nice so I don't think she'll tell anyone."

"All thanks to you, Joker." Morgana popped his head out, smiling in approval. "Way to turn on the charm."

"Yeah, a real charmer." Ann rolled her eyes a bit.

Suddenly, they heard the door to the rooftop open and in came their late arrivals. Kazuma and Ryuji entered the rooftop, closing the door behind them and approached the others.

"You guys are late." Morgana scolded.

"We ran into some trouble." Ryuji sadly told them.

"Did something happen?" Ren asked, worried something went wrong.

"Just a couple of assholes from the volleyball team giving us a hard time because of some stupid bullshit." The spiky blonde scoffed.

"Yeah, about that." Ann bit her lip, not knowing how to bring this up. "I heard some people talking in class. About Kazuma."

"You guys heard it too?!" Ryuji gasped, his shocked expression then turned to anger. "Yeah, we heard all about it from Matsumoto. Rumors are going around that Kazuma was bullying Suzui and that's why she... you know."

"For the love of God." Ren heard about it in class but that didn't mean it wasn't horrible to hear.

"Seems like Kamoshida's covering his tracks by diverting attention away from him and placing all the blame on Brown-Hair." Morgana theorized.

"He's just going to put the blame on Kazuma and act like he had nothing to do with it?!" Ann growled. "It's bullshit!"

"Damn right. Like hell is he gettin' away with this." Ryuji proclaimed.

"Are you guys done?" Kazuma crossed his arms and glared at them for getting off track. "If you are, stop talking about me like I'm not even here. We have work to do."

"Dude, how can you just ignore this?" The spiky blonde turned to him confusingly. "People are saying you're the reason Suzui tried to kill herself. You can't just be OK with this"

"I don't care what the idiots at this school think of me. That's not important." He growled at him for not letting this issue go. "We have more important concerns so focus on that instead of this crap."

"But, Kazuma." Ann agreed with Ryuji as she herself couldn't believe that he's willing to just take this kind of treatment. "This involves you. You can't just-"

"I said it's not important, damn it!" He yelled at the two for their persistence in talking about this subject. This caused them to backpedal at the venom leaked off of his words but also the pain that came with it. "What's more important to you, Ann?! What people think of me or avenging Shiho?!"

"I... I was just..." She muttered and tried to offer an argument but was unable to do to his tone.

"What about you, Sakamoto?! What's more important to you?!" He then turned to his spiky blonde classmate with the same anger.

"Dude. I'm just..." He was about to say something but was cut off.

"Kazuma, stop it!" Ren intervened, frowning at him for the way he spoke to them. "This is serious?! People are saying you were bullying Suzui-san and made her try to kill herself! Are you seriously going to get mad at Ryuji and Ann for being worried about you?!"

That really felt like a punch to the gut because he was absolutely right. Kazuma was definitely in the wrong for speaking in such a manner to Ann and Ryuji who were simply concerned for him as these rumors were awful. He looked away sadly, his glare having faded and replaced with a look of regret.

"I'm sorry. Both of you, that was uncalled for." He offered apologies to the both of them.

"It's all right, Kazuma." Ann accepted his apology.

"Yeah, no problem man." Ryuji did as well, running his hand through his hair, frustrated at the situation. "This is so messed up."

"I know it is. But, we're going to fix this, together just like we all said we would." Ren offered kind words to relieve the tension and lift everyone's spirits. "So, what do you say, gang? Ready to get this show on the road?"

"Sounds good to me." Ann smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Hell yeah." Ryuji did the same.

"Hmph." Kazuma simply offered a grunt, turning back to face the others.

"Now hold on a sec." Morgana hopped out of Ren's bag and landed on the desk, addressing the others. "It's still too early for us to head to the Palace."

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that treasure thing?" Ryuji asked, already wanting to go to the Palace and get it over with.

"Don't underestimate the dangers of that place." The cat stated. "We need to prepare."

"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?" He wondered what was the point.

"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there." Morgana scolded the spiky blonde. "So again, we need to prepare before we head in."

"But, how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Ann asked curiously.

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann." The cat continued. "First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you."

"You talkin' about weapons? I know a kickass place!" Ryuji brought up, having knowledge of a place where they could get better weapons.

"In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine." The cat informed. "Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace, so is summoning a Persona."

"And where can we get medicine?" Ann asked again.

"Medicine, huh?" Kazuma thought as he had an idea where. "Ren, you're familiar with the clinic in Yongen-Jaya, right?"

"The clinic? Yeah, we've passed there a few times, haven't we?" The probationer asked.

"That's right. You think the doctor there could sell us medicine? Just buying standard meds won't look suspicious." He stated.

"I like the way you think, Brown-Hair." Morgana complimented. "Ren and I will take care of the medicine."

"Well, I think that concludes our meeting today," Ren said. "Let's get this done, guys." With that, they all nodded and prepared to leave for the day.

Kazuma went to leave but Ryuji went after him, decided to stay by his side until they made it out of school out of concern for his classmate. Ren was about to leave until he felt a hand grab onto his arm. He turned to see that it was Ann who had a firm grip on his arm, refusing to part as she wanted to talk to him some more.

"Morgana, do you mind if I talk to Ren in private?" She asked.

"Sure, I'll be right outside the door." Morgana hopped from the desk and left the rooftop, leaving the two alone.

"Ren, are you alright?" She asked with concern.

"I'm OK, Ann. Thank you for the concern." Ren gave his thanks but Ann still wouldn't let go as she wasn't convinced.

"No, you're not. I can tell. You don't normally raise your voice unless you're upset and I don't think it has anything to do with Kazuma yelling at us." She said. "You can talk to me, Ren. We're friends, right?"

"Of course we are." He immediately said without hesitation.

"Then tell me what's wrong." She pleaded, finally letting him go as he opened up to her.

"We're just getting started and things aren't going well, Ann. Yeah, I have a new Persona, but when I used it to try and save you, it completely drained me." Ren told her. "Kazuma is in ten different kinds of pain right now, the whole school thinks he's the reason why Suzui-san is in the hospital and I can't do anything about it."

"We are doing something about it, Ren. You are." Ann told him. "What people are saying about Kazuma is disgusting, I absolutely agree, but we're not going to let this stop us. If anything, we should use this as a reminder that we're doing the right thing. As for your new Persona, I still don't know much about all of this 'Persona' stuff but I do know this. You're strong, Ren, and I believe that you'll get stronger."

"You think so?" He asked.

"I know so." She nodded. "You were the one who helped me when I was in a bad place and without you, I probably would've died in that castle. You say I'm strong, well I think you're stronger."

Ren let out a little sigh, smiling in relief as he felt much better thanks to Ann's pep talk. "You know, Kazuma told me that he's the kind of person that focuses on the present and prefers to take action. Maybe I should take a page from his book."

"As long as you leave out the asshole parts." She joked which caused the two the laugh a bit.

"Thanks, Ann. I really needed that." He gave her his gratitude.

"You did the same for me." She said, moving closer giving him a quick hug before letting go. "See you tomorrow?"

"Later." He waved as she left. Soon enough, Morgana came back, hopping onto the desk.

"So, what did you and Lady Ann talk about?" The cat asked curiously.

"Sorry, Morgana. I don't kiss and tell." He smirked.

"Wait, you kissed her?!" Morgana yelled out in shock as he was just outside the door a few minutes ago and already Ren and Ann were engaged in major lip action.

"No silly, we just talked and she helped me squash some minor struggles." He said allowing the cat to breathe out a major sigh of relief.

"Phew, don't scare me like that." He warned. "Besides, she's totally out of your league."

"Oh, is that so?" Ren questioned the cat, crossing his arms at his comment.

"If anyone's gonna steal Lady Ann's heart, it's yours truly." The cat stated proudly. "If I were you though, I'd go for that girl in the pink sweater. She was cute and she seemed to like you."

"Well if you think so, I'll be sure to ask her out the next time I see her." He joked.

"Wait, seriously?!" Morgana said in surprise as he didn't know that Ren was so bold.

"Of course not, you goof. I just met her." He gave the cat a little pat on the head, causing him to pout a little at the boy's teasing. "So, now that this girl talk is over, ready to head to the clinic.

"Lead the way, Joker." He said, hopping into the boy's bag once more.

Maybe they weren't ready now but they will be. And when they are, it will be Kamoshida's last surprise.

* * *

 **Not much action in this chapter, mostly Ren and Ann moments because I know some of you are a sucker for them.**

 **I'm pretty sure you all know who the girl is the pink sweater that I so did not intentionally mean to introduce this early ;) Expect to see more interactions like that.**

 **I don't know if most of you watch the anime but that part where Ren meets Tae for the first time was inspired from their meeting in the anime only I made it to my liking so it made sense. Next chapter will hopefully have more action as I have something special planned.**

 **Til next time.**


	15. The Grim Reaper is Born

**This is without a doubt, the longest chapter I have ever written for any story and I am amazed by how I was able to write this much. This took me forever to write as I was dealing with some issues I'd rather not talk about but now that it's all cleared up, I got another chapter for you guys.**

 **I've also created an AO3 account and put Trickster Vs. Champion on the account after I was motivated by my fellow writers and friends to create one. I'll update it as I go.**

 **Also for those who don't know, the English dub for the Persona 3 and 5 dancing games has been announced so look forward to those in 2019.**

 **Now for some shoutouts! Only one today, this one goes to jokermans for their story _The Foolish Couple_ , a really funny AkirenXAnn fic that I recommend you go read.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the 15th chapter.**

* * *

Once the meeting had concluded, the group left the school going their separate ways. Ren and Morgana arrived in Yongen-Jaya, walking down the street that led to the town's clinic in order to procure some medicine for their infiltration into the Palace. He smiled, his talk with Ann had put him in a better mood and felt more determined to put an end to Kamoshida. His hopes that once that bastard confessed to everything, the rumors about Kazuma bullying Shiho will go away.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Ren arrived at the clinic. It was a little difficult to find, especially if you're not hard enough.

She knew who ran the place. After all, he met her just yesterday.

"You sure about this, Morgana?" Ren asked.

"Well, if she's the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors made about her, maybe she'll help us out." The cat theorized.

"You shouldn't judge someone's character based on rumors, Morgana." He scolded the cat lightly.

"I know, but I still think she could help." The cat insisted on the plan. "Now, how can we get her to sell us medicine?"

"I'll think of something." Ren shrugged. If he could come up with a convincing lie to persuade that girl in the pink sweater to let them stay on the roof, then maybe he could do the same here. With a deep breath, he opened the door and entered the clinic.

Once inside the clinic, he looked around to see that it was surprisingly clean and normal. If this doctor is the only one running the clinic, she sure does a good job. A few pamphlets here, posters there, for a small clinic, it didn't look sketchy in the slightest.

Maybe there's more to this doctor than meets the eye.

Speaking of the doctor in question, she was here, sitting behind a reception window. Unlike her previous "punk rock" attire, this time she was wearing white lab-coat, worn over a short black dress. She accessorizes with a red grommet belt, a black studded necklace choker which connects to multiple necklaces, and strappy black platform high heels.

Her eyes were glued to a chart, completely unaware that Ren had entered her clinic.

She sighed annoyingly, rubbing her head with her fingers to nurse a migraine. "I'm not going to get anywhere at this rate."

And neither was he unless he got her attention. To do so, he cleared his throat to let her know she had a visitor.

"Huh?" She looked up to see that she someone was here. She put down her chart and focused on him. "Is this your first visit?"

"Uh. Yes, ma'am." He replied,

"I see." She said before raising an eyebrow as the boy in front of her seemed a little familiar. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

 _Really? I thought I left a good impression. Oh well._ He thought before letting her know that they have met.

"Yesterday, at Leblanc." He brought up.

"Oh! Now I remember. The new kid in town." She smirked a little, now remembering just who he was. "What was it again? Ten Amamiya?"

"Ren Amamiya. Ten Amamiya was my grandfather." He winked a little, joking as he knew his grandfather, nor anyone in his family was named Ten. And it seemed to have worked as he got a giggle out of the doctor.

"Well then, Ren Amamiya. What are you here for today?" She asked, getting straight to business.

"Well, lately my body has been feeling a bit... lethargic." He made up.

She eyed him for a bit, gazing him up and down as if she was analyzing. He hoped she wouldn't see through his lie. She then got out of her chair and stood up to give him a reply.

"Fine." She simply said. "Please head to the exam room."

He then nodded and entered the exam room. Once inside, he found the languid doctor already seated at her desk. She pulled up a chair and patted it, signaling him to sit. Once he did, she clicked her pen and started writing on her clipboard.

"So, you're saying you feel lethargic, huh?" She questioned in a tone that seemed unconvincing.

"Yeah." He nodded, continuing with his story. "I recently just transferred here. Getting used to a new city and a new school. It's been tough."

"I see." She wrote down some more before looking back at him. "In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, OK?"

"A-All right." He nodded. He didn't expect it to be this easy. However, her expression changed suddenly as she looked away from him and towards her desk.

"Actually, I still need to restock those." She corrected.

 _Oh, that's just cruel_. He thought as he knew should've known it wouldn't be this easy to get medicine.

"So let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?" She smiled sweetly as she offered him suggestions.

"Um, I don't think sleeping pills are the best solution, Doctor." He tried to reason as he knew such pills weren't going to help and he feared that had caught on to his ruse.

A fear that seemed true as his words made her frown.

"You're the patient here, you know. Do you think you should be telling me how to do my job?" She replied, a bit of anger in her tone.

"Well..." Before he could offer a replied, she stopped him.

"Just like I thought." She still frowned, leaning back in her chair. "You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know."

"I never said you were Doctor," Ren stated, not wanting to come off as offensive. He knew he was caught but he wasn't giving up without a fight.

"Let me guess. You're here because you've heard the rumors about me. Am I right?" She asked.

"Well..." He decided to be honest since there was no point in lying to her. "Partially yes and partially no. Sakura-san said people were making up stories about you but I simply wanted to meet you for myself."

"Is that so?" She questioned his sincerity.

"That's right. Do people bother you simply because of mere rumors?" He asked and she laughed a little.

"You have no idea." She answered. "As a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He offered an apology. He never wanted to come off as offensive but was getting the impression that he did.

"It's whatever. Don't worry about it." She shrugged off his concerned but seemed to appreciate it nonetheless. "I guess high school kids have tough nowadays too, huh?"

"Something like that." If only she knew just what's been going on in his life for the past few days.

She looked at this kid, and she knew he was different than most of her patients. He was kind and apologetic, not wanting to offend her, even though he lied to try and get prescribed medicine from her. She could tell he wasn't some addict or anything like that, so she wondered why the sudden need for medicine.

"Well, fine." She relented, sensing no ill intent from this kid. "I'll prescribe you some medication."

"Oh?" He was happy, yet surprised at the sudden change of heart

"But only medication that will help you recover your health." She told him "It'll be fine, I guess. You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be any trouble."

"I try not to be." He said.

"This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original." She informed him "I have a license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals."

 _Can't say I have but all right._ He kept that thought to himself.

"I would also appreciate it if you didn't breathe a word about this to anyone, especially Sakura-san." She insisted that he keep this secret.

"Well, looks like we'll have to live dangerously, won't we, Doctor?" He smirked and she nodded.

"Looks like it." She returned with a smirk of her very own. She then handed him a bag of prescribed medicine. He checked the contents and there was more than enough for him and the others. "You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for."

"Nothing to worry about, I assure you." He told her.

"Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem." She shrugged. "Stop by anytime."

"Sure thing, Doctor..." He looked at her name tag and got her name. "Takemi?"

"Please, call me Tae." She insisted.

"Well, then. Have a good rest of your day, Tae." He waved goodbye, placing the medicine into his bag and then left the exam room. Once back in the waiting room, he came face to face with a man wearing a black suit, black hair, and glasses that accentuated his angry glare. He walked past the boy and into the exam room, not even bothering to ask Tae for permission.

 _Must be a scheduled patient_. He thought. He was about to leave when he overheard Tae's conversation with the man.

"What's the reason for your visit?" He heard the doctor. "Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete's foot? Whatever it is, you'll need to take a number..."

"Enough of this!"

"Huh?" Ren thought as heard the man yell. His curiosity got the better of him as he moved closer to listen in.

"You're the only one who could have developed that type of medicine." He heard him continue.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." She simply said.

"Don't play dumb with me." The man threatened. "Rumor has it, it's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power."

 _What now?_ Ren thought as what he heard sounded very intriguing. _A drug that can grant unlimited power? Sounds ridiculous, but what if it was true?_

"Really? That's news to me." He heard Tae say. It seems she was content with playing dumb with this man.

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations." The man stated. "Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue."

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack." She said innocently.

"The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it." He warned. "You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You're a disgrace to the medical community."

This man's harsh words and insults seemed to be really affecting Tae as Ren heard her click her tongue. He didn't know if he should step in and stop this or leave. Then again, if he were to step in, it would be revealing that he was eavesdropping on them and that would not bode well if he wanted to get more medicine from Tae.

"What's with that look? That was your mistake, was it not?" The man questioned. I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that "medicine" immediately and resign. The name "Tae Takemi" will never-"

"What should we do, Ren?" Morgana popped his head out, asking him what they should do as this was getting ugly.

"Morgana, shut it!" He quieted the cat.

"Huh?" The man talking to Tae suddenly heard a meow. "Hey, is somebody there?!"

 _Crap! Time to go!_ Ren thought as he immediately left the clinic before he could get caught.

After making it outside, he walked away from the clinic and got back onto the streets of Yongen-Jaya. Now in the clear, Morgana popped his head out to talk to him.

"Geez, they almost caught us." The cat sighed in relief. "Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous. Could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine?"

"Sounds a little too good to be true." He said. The idea of a drug giving unlimited power doesn't sound very realistic.

"Maybe, but it could come in handy in the Palace." He pointed out. "Let's get that woman to cooperate with us."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to talk to her again," Ren stated, having a good impression of the town doctor. "We should come back when that man isn't here. Don't want to involve citizens or bystanders into this."

"Spoken like a true Phantom Thief. You make me proud, Joker." Morgana complimented.

"Thanks, bud." He gave the cat a little pat on the head before hearing his phone ring in his pocket. He pulled it out and found messages in the group chat.

 **Ryuji: You know, there's a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns. I'd be glad to take you guys there if you want.**

 **Ren: Sounds good to me.**

 **Ryuji: Sweet. Let's figure out where to meet. You at least know how to get to Shibuya Station, yeah?**

 **Ren: Of course.**

 **Ann: Hey, I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?**

 **Ryuji: You can't come?**

 **Ann: Not tomorrow. I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.**

 **Ryuji: Ah, gotcha.**

 **Ren: Don't worry, Ann. I'll pick out one out for you.**

 **Ann: Thanks, Ren. Oh, and Kazuma. Are you there?**

 **Kazuma: Yeah. What is it?**

 **Ann: When you have time, you should come visit too. I think Shiho would like that.**

There was a bit of pause after that message. He didn't reply right away, Ren assumed that he was probably trying to think of a reply. Then they saw three little dots, indicating that he was writing.

 **Kazuma: No.**

It wasn't what he expected.

 **Ann: No?**

 **Kazuma: No, I don't want to see her.**

 **Ryuji: What?! Why the hell not?!**

 **Kazuma: I just can't.**

He sighed, knowing he was still hurting over what they learned today. The new rumors about him must really be weighing him down. He figured the best thing to do is to change the subject.

 **Ren: We'll see you in Shibuya, Ryuji.**

 **Ryuji: Right. Seeya guys.**

With that Ren put his phone away and let out a pained sigh. Morgana popped out his head to talk to him about Kazuma, voicing his own concern for the boy.

"Brown-Hair's not doing so well, is he?" He asked.

"No. If anything, he's worse than yesterday." Ren believed solemnly.

"Poor Brown-Hair. First Lady Ann's friend, and now these rumors. The guy can't catch a break." The cat noted.

"I wish there was something I could do for him." He clenched his hand tightly, frustrated at his inability to do anything for his partner.

"It'll be all right, Ren." Morgana tried his best to offer comfort. "Once we get rid of Kamoshida, everyone will know the truth."

"That's my hope." He smiled and nodded before letting out a little yawn. "I'm tired. Let's call it a day."

"Lead the way, Joker." The cat finished, retreating back into his bag.

Ren nodded and left the clinic, heading back to Leblanc to put this day behind us. They were one step closer to infiltrating the palace and putting an end to Kamoshida's tyranny.

* * *

 **4/17 - Sunday**

The beautiful thing about Sundays was that there is no school. Every Sunday, students would be able to spend their day however they wish, to their heart's content. Kazuma always loved Sundays. Mainly because it was that one day of the week where he was free to do absolutely nothing.

However, this wasn't one of those Sundays. He knew eventually he would have to leave the safe confines of his room and meet up with Ryuji and Ren to check out the gun store.

To kill the time, Kazuma chose to do what he did best on a Sunday.

Nothing.

He laid in bed, listening to his music with his eyes closed, finally able to relax. Yesterday had been a bad day, with rumors now going around that he was the cause of Shiho's suicide attempt. Normally, he couldn't care less about what the idiots of Shujin had to say about him but to say that he was bullying Shiho was too much.

While still listening to his music, he went through his previous text messages with her. Some pain still lingered whenever he read them, it didn't hurt as much as it used to.

"Shiho. I swear I'll make this right." He vowed. He was going to change Kamoshida's rotten heart, force the bastard to confess what he's done and once he's gone, everything is going to change for the better.

It wasn't like him to be optimistic, it's his nature to see the worst aspects of any situation. But, it appears Ren and the others are starting to rub off on him.

Maybe once Kamoshida is gone, things will start to change for him. Maybe even his life will change.

"Life will change?" Kazuma thought about it as he turned off his music and sat up on the bed. He then gave a short nod as he approached his guitar. "That's a good one. I'll have to write that down."

Kazuma opened his guitar case and looked at his baby. A 1976 Greco Spacey Sounds Thinline Telecaster, one of many gifts from his late parents. Given to him on his 8th birthday, not a day went by when he wasn't playing it. Whenever he got home from school, once he did his homework, he went straight for his guitar, practicing and making music.

But, as of recent events, he hasn't been playing as much as he used to. But, it's as Tori said two days ago, it's time he got back into it. He pulled out a journal he kept within the case which contained all of the songs he's written over the years and added a new song title so he wouldn't forget.

"Life will change." He wrote it down under the list of potential song titles and placed it back into the slot, closing the guitar case and locking it. "Something tells me this will make a great song."

Once that was done, he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and saw a text from Ren.

 **Ren: Hey Kazuma. You ready to meet up with Ryuji.**

 **Kazuma: Sure. I'm heading out.**

And so came an end to his peaceful do-nothing Sunday.

 _Oh, well. Better get to it_. He thought.

Dressed in his casual attire, Kazuma collected his bag and prepared to head out. Suddenly, he heard what appeared to be yelling coming from his living room. Listening in, he could hear Tori amongst the yelling and he immediately grimaced.

 _Please tell me, it's not what I think it is._ He opened the door and found Tori along with six other woman her age in his living room. Each were holding a book and were reading off the contents. _Jesus H. Christ._

* * *

"I smite you down, demon! I shall rescue the princess from your wretched clutches and restore the Kingdom of Aegeya to its rightful glory!" Tori read off the book dramatically.

"My prince has come for me! Thank the heavens, my prayers have been answered!" One of the women swooned.

"Um, I refuse to let you take her. The princess belongs to, uh, me." Kazuma looked at who said that line and his eyes widened.

 _Ms. Kawakami's here too?_ He recognized the Japanese Language teacher, remembering that she and Tori were friends.

"Put more power into it, Sadayo," Tori whined a little. "You gotta be wrathful! Aggressive!"

"Sorry, Tor. I'm just a bit tired." Kawakami apologized.

"You're always so exhausted, Sadayo. Do they make you work late at Shujin?" Tori asked her friend curiously.

"Maybe she has a boyfriend." One of the women chuckled.

"I-I do not!" The teacher fired back, a little red from their assumptions

"Cmon, girls. Don't tease her." Tori warned before smirking a little. "Is he hot, Sadayo?"

"Tori!" Kawakami glared at her, whining a bit.

"Haha! Sorry, couldn't help it." She laughed a bit before noticing Kazuma was there. "Oh! Kazzy-kun!"

"Tori." He greeted her with an annoyed expression since he knew exactly what was going on here.

Tori Ichihara was an advent bookworm. She read practically everything, books, manga, light novels, magazines, fanfiction, you name it. Back when she was his nanny, on random Sundays, Tori would host her live book readings with her friends where they would act out scenes in the story. One was would be the narrator while the others would play characters.

Since his parents worked late, she often used this to her advantage and host her live readings while his Mom and Dad were working. Since she was doing it without their permission, Tori often bribed Kazuma with sweets to keep him quiet.

Of course, that didn't stop the neighbors from calling the cops because of the noise.

Now here she was, hosting a live reading in his apartment. He knew there would be no sweet bribes. After all, Tori owns the building.

"I didn't know you were still here." She said before deciding to introduce him to her friends. "Ladies, this is Kei Kazuma, my ward. I used to work for his parents. If you want, you can call him Kazzy-kun."

"Please don't." He tried to intervene. It was bad enough that Tori was calling him that dumb nickname. To have random women call him that would be weird.

"Hi, Kazzy-kun!" Tori's friends said at the same time.

"Damn it, woman." He whispered under his breath and groaned a bit. "Ladies, nice to meet you all," He said, then turned to the Japanese Teacher. "Ms. Kawakami, nice to see you too."

"Kazuma-kun." She greeted awkwardly.

"I'm heading out, Tori." He told her, immediately heading for the door.

"Ooooh! Meeting up with some friends?" She cheeringly asked.

"Something like that." He said, opening the door.

"Kazuma-kun. Before you go, I was wondering..." Ms. Kawakami stopped him before he left. "How is Amamiya-kun doing?"

"Um." He was a bit confused, he didn't expect to hear such concern from one of the teachers as he assumed that none of the teachers really cared much for Ren due to his record. "He's fine."

"Oh, Ok." She stated, accepting his vague answer.

Once he was out the door, Tori turned to Kawakami with a smirk.

"Who's Amamiya, Sadayo?" She asked.

"Is that your new boyfriend?" One of the women asked.

"No! Of course not!" Sadayo fired back, blushing a bit. "He's just one of my students."

"A student, huh?" Tori questioned, a bit curious.

"He's a transfer student, much like Kazuma-kun. But he has... well, special circumstances." She kept his record from them. "I was just concerned for my student's well-being, that's all."

"If you say so, Sadayo." One of the women replied. "Now, let's get back to the story. It was just getting good!"

"All right, ladies. Next page!" Tori commanded.

* * *

Finally out of that apartment, Kazuma let out an annoyed groan at his former nanny using his apartment for her live readings.

 _She has her own apartment, why can't she use hers?!_ He complained in his head.

"Good day, Kazuma-san." He looked to see his neighbor, Detective Masu Okabe, had left his own apartment, briefcase in hand, and greeted him kindly.

"Detective." He greeted.

"THE DEMON IS DEAD AND THE WORLD IS SAVED! NOW LET'S REJOICE, PRINCESS! DISROBE AND MAKE LOVE TO ME!

YES! COME AND TAKE ME, MY PRINCE!

He heard Tori and one of her friends yell from within his apartment and judging from the look on Okabe's face, he heard it too.

"I see Ichihara-san is doing her, uh." He cleared his throat. "Live readings again."

"You've had to suffer through this too?" Kazuma asked.

"It helps that she takes a portion off our rent as long as we don't complain." Okabe chuckled a little. "Well, I must be going. Have a good day, Kazuma-san."

"Detective." He nodded, watching the man leave.

Kazuma let out a sigh. He had to admit, even though he found Tori's live readings to be weird and annoying, she was able to spend quality time with her friends. And from what he's seen, they're having a lot of fun.

Tori was a lot of things. She was a huge weirdo but she was also kindhearted, beautiful, sweet, and selfless. It's no wonder she had been able to make some friends.

"Could I ever be like that? Do I even deserve to have friends?" He questioned. He thought of Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann. They were his teammates, his companions, but he knew he had been treating them terribly. He had been rude to each of them. Would they even want anything to do with him once Kamoshida was defeated?

At this point, it doesn't matter. He had to keep his mind focused. He walked down the stairs and left the apartment building to go meet up with Ren.

* * *

Ren patiently waited at the train station for his partner. As he waited, he thought over what kind of gun he should get for Ann and if he should get a better pistol. He figured maybe they should add some variety to their firearms. If he and Kazuma were to have pistols, then Ann should have something different, like maybe an SMG.

 _Maybe I should get Morgana an upgrade too. But do they even sell slingshots? And what is Ryuji going to get?_ He thought but in the midst of these thoughts, the man he'd been waiting for finally arrived.

"Brown-Hair! Over here!" Morgana popped out his head and called out to the boy which succeeded in getting his attention and he walked over to him.

"Hey." Kazuma greeted the two.

"Hey," Ren replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He simply said. "So, you think this gun store is legit?"

"Only one way to find out," Ren replied as the train arrived. "Shall we?"

Ren and Kazuma boarded the train. The two were able to find seats so they wouldn't have to stand for the whole ride.

Once they finally came to, they exited the train and made their way to station square. Once they spotted their spiky blonde haired waiting for them, they approached him to get their mission started.

"Yo guys!" Ryuji waved them over.

"Hey, Ryuji." Ren greeted the boy.

"Sakamoto." Kazuma did as well.

"Looks like you made it." He noted before turning away. "All right guys, let's get goin'. The shop's over this way!"

The two followed after Ryuji as he led them to the direction of the gun store. As they headed toward their destination, they walked past a man with slicked-back black hair, dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows, a black business suit, yellow dotted red tie, white gloves and a green sash that reads "friendly society, bright future". He was standing on a soapbox, delivering a speech. Or at least he was trying to.

"Everyone, wake up! This country is twisted! We must stand up to the injustice that plagues our society!" The man started. It appeared he was trying to get people's attention but his words were met with either silence or scoffs as people chose to ignore him.

"That politician's actually saying some decent things, but not many people are stopping to listen," Morgana noted as he listened in on the speech.

"Eh, people give speeches all the time. Plus, politics are boring anyways." The spiky blonde said.

"Most people would prefer to ignore the problems of the world rather than accept them. It's easier for them to live that way." Kazuma explained harshly.

"Still, he's bringing up some good points. I wonder why people aren't listening." Ren wondered as to why people didn't seem interested in what this man had to say.

"Meh, it's whatever," Ryuji said, not really interested in the speech. "We're almost there. Just don't get lost in the crowd.

The group left the politician to his own devices as they had a mission to focus on. The spiky blonde eventually led them to Central Street which held many of Shibuya's popular attractions.

"The store is here in Central Street?" Kazuma asked as he doesn't remember there ever being a gun store anywhere here.

"Yep. The shop can be pretty confusing the find sometimes." Ryuji said as he led them to the store.

Past the Shibuya diner and round the corner into an alleyway, they finally found the gun store. It was called Untouchables. From the looks of it, it seems like a simple airsoft shop although it had a shady appeal to it given that it was hidden in a back alley.

"This is it. Pretty legit, huh?" Ryuji asked the two.

"I'm getting a really bad vibe from this place," Kazuma stated.

"Same," Morgana admitted.

"It's not that bad," Ren said as it looked like a decent store.

"Well, now that we're here, do either of you know anything about military stuff," Ryuji asked curiously.

"Not really." Ren shook his head.

"If you're worried about coming off as suspicious, then you worry too much Sakamoto," Kazuma told him. "It's a gun store. If anything, you'll look more suspicious if you don't buy anything."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The spiky blond scratched his head, getting nervous for nothing. "I guess worst comes to worst we can just ask the shopkeeper what they recommend."

"Well, then. Let's head on in." Ren said as he opened the door for his companions.

As they all entered, they were greeted with the inside of Untouchables. From the looks of it, it appeared to be your standard airsoft store even if it came off as shady from the outside. There was a wide variety of airsoft guns to choose from as well as protective gear.

Ren looked to see a middle-aged man with gray hair, faint stubble, sideburns and earrings, a tattoo of a gecko is on the left side of his neck near the back sitting behind the counter, likely the owner. He had a lollipop sticking out of his mouth and wore a gray hat with yellow ear defenders, a black turtleneck sweater, a long gray coat with a red peace symbol on it, blue jeans and dark boots.

He seemed rather laid back as his eyes were focused on a magazine he was reading, not noticing he had customers.

"All the stuff in here looks so real. I dunno what I like best." Ryuji looked around, awestruck. He had been here before when he bought the pistols for Ren and Kazuma but now he was looking around for the first time.

"Maybe we should ask the guy behind the counter. He might offer some recommendations." Ren suggested.

"Yeah." The spiky blonde nodded in agreement. "Man, who'd have thunk model guns would shoot real bullets in that Palace."

"Can we not talk about palace related topics in the presence of others." Kazuma frowned, gesturing the man behind the counter.

"At least one of you is thinking clearly," Morgana stated.

"Shut it, cat!" Ryuji shushed him

Ren and the others approached the counter, clearing his throat to get the man's attention.

"Hmm?" He looked up from the magazine and saw he had customers. "You know what you want yet?"

"Actually, um." The probationer started. "We're new here so we were wondering what you would recommend for first-time customers?

"You lookin' for recommendations?" The man asked before simply shrugging. "I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin' to you."

"Well, that's helpful." Kazuma scoffed silently.

"Ugh, some customer service," Ryuji muttered under his breath.

Seeing that they were still here, the man sighed and then focused his attention fully on the customers. "Fine. Whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"

"Uh, automatic?" The spiky blonde was confused as to what the man was referring to. "Dude, why're you talkin' about cars now?!"

"An automatic's a type of gun, moron." Kazuma harshly whispered.

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop." The man glared annoyingly. "My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around."

"I'm not a freakin' casual!" Ryuji fired back. "I bought shit from here like, last week!"

"Huh?" The man gave the spiky blonde a questioned look before shrugging. "Can't remember you."

"You bastard..." He sighed annoyingly, this man getting on his nerves.

"And you?" The man ignored Ryuji's annoyed groan and focused on Ren instead. "Lookin' for somethin'?"

"Yes." He nodded. "I was hoping to purchase a fancy model gun."

"Oh?" The man raised an eyebrow, now interested. "You a collector? Heh, you're way more interestin' than blondie over there.

"Sh-Shut it!" The poor blonde muttered, kicking the floor.

"And you?" He then focused on the brown haired kid next to Ren.

"I'm with him." He pointed toward the probationer.

"Anyways, you shoulda said before you guys're enthusiasts. I'm always up for helping' fresh faces." The man stated, now interested in helping his customers, putting his magazine down. "Some precautions first though. Don't go 'round pointing 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. Oh and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em. I don't need them comin' around here."

"Don't worry, sir," Ren assured him. "We'll be careful, promise."

"You damn well better be." The man warned, standing up and then showed them some model pistols on display. "Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns feel... different."

Kazuma noticed that the man spoke about the guns with such passion, like he was speaking from experience.

"Maybe someday I'll show you the real good stuff though. If you got the guts for it, of course." He stated. "But for now, you get the beginner selection. Just sit tight, I'll bring 'em out." He finished before walked to the backroom to get some model guns to sell.

"We did it, dude." Ryuji cheered. "We totally gotta go for some fancy shit, right? I want 'em to shine!"

"How they look won't mean anything if they aren't good," Kazuma said before pulling out some money. "Here, this is all I can spare. Make sure to buy yourself a spare."

"Thanks, Kazuma. I will." Ren accepted the money.

"Oh, and here's the cash for mine. Pick me out something good!" The spiky blonde gave the probationer some more money.

It appears it's up to Ren to pick out guns for his teammates. The surly manager came out with a variety of model guns for him to choose from. First thing he did was buy spares for him and Kazuma just in case. Since shotgun and SMG models were available, he decided to buy a shotgun for Ryuji and an SMG for Ann. Once he paid for the guns, the manager placed them in a bag and handed it to the probationer.

"Come again." The man said, getting back to his magazine.

Once they were done, they left the store.

"Well, looks like we're good to go." Ryuji smiled.

"We got everything. Medicine and new guns. When we head into the Palace, we'll be ready." Ren assured them.

"Damn right." The spiky blonde. "All right guys, I'm gonna head home. See you guys tomorrow?"

"See you, Ryuji." Ren waved him goodbye as the spiky blonde too his leave, leaving him with Kazuma.

"Ren." The boy started. "Out of curiosity, where do you plan on putting those guns? I can't imagine your guardian will like you walking into his coffee shop with a bag of weapons."

"True." He nodded in agreement. "Any suggestions?"

"Why don't we hide them in the alleyway?" He suggested. "I have time, I can do that for you."

"Thanks. I appreciate it Kazuma." Ren smiled in gratitude, handing him the bag of model guns.

"All right." He nodded, taking the weapons. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

"Probably just hang around." He shrugged. "You?"

"I think I'll just head home after I drop off the guns." Kazuma shrugged.

"You tired?" He asked curiously.

"A little. I haven't been sleeping well." He admitted which made Ren worry.

"Kazuma." He started, giving the boy a look of concern. "Are you sure you're OK. You can talk to me, you know. I won't judge you."

"I..." He didn't really want to get into this but he feels like he should tell someone and he feels like he can trust Ren. "I've been trying. I really have. But I can't keep pretending that everything's all right. I can't. Not with all of this guilt."

"Kazuma..." Ren whispered. It hurt to see his partner like this.

"I can't stop thinking about what happened. I can't close my eyes without seeing Shiho jump off that rooftop. Every time I try to fall asleep, it's the same damn nightmare where she blames me for everything." He confessed as to why he looks so tired.

"You're having nightmares?" He gasped a little at this, especially after hearing what goes on in these dreams.

"I feel like I'm being punished for not protecting Shiho like I promised I would. If it's not my dreams, then it's the idiots at Shujin and the goddamn headaches." He was close to breaking down, the pain was too much but he didn't want to cry, especially in front of Ren of all people.

"Headaches?" Ren questioned, wondering just what kind of headaches his partner-in-crime was having. "What kind of headaches?"

"It's..." He didn't mean for that to slip but he felt like if he should tell anyone about the headaches, it should be Ren. He felt as if he might be the only one who could understand. "I have these... headaches. They just come and go but sometimes when they happen, something happens to me."

"Like what?" He questioned, crossing his arms.

"It's like... this is going to sound weird but, when we were in the palace, back in that safe room, I was able to see the real world from there." Kazuma tried his best to explain. "First I was in the safe room, then the headaches happened and next thing I know, I was in the faculty office."

"You're right. That does sound weird." Ren nodded, shocked at this new bit of information and hearing about this new ability his partner has.

"You can see into the real world from the Palace?" Morgana popped his head out upon learning this. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"I thought I was hallucinating! I don't know!" Kazuma fired back, not appreciating being called out.

"Morgana, please." Ren shushed him, not wanting him to give the boy a hard time. "When did these headaches start?"

"After our first trip to the Palace, it was when I found out Kamoshida was abusing Shiho. I ran back to the school building and then it happened." But he wasn't finished. "And that's not all. When it happens. I don't know why but, my eyes... they... they glow red."

"Your eyes... glow red?" This was a whole new level of weird, even for them. Ren thought over all the possible reasons as to why Kazuma has such a power and came up with a theory. "So you can see into the real world from the palace and vice versa. You think maybe it's a side effect of gaining your Persona?"

"I think so. The only problem is I can't control them, they just happen at random times." He told him.

"OK. How about this." Ren came up with a solution to fix his partner's headache issue. "When we're in the castle and you get another one of these headaches, talk me through it. Maybe we can find a way to control them."

"And if it happens when I'm alone?" He asked.

"Then try to call me." He continued. "We're going to get through this, Kazuma. I'm going to help you."

"Why? We're not exactly friends, Ren." He stated but Kazuma knew that was entirely his own fault, not Ren's.

"Still, I respect you a lot and I care about you, even if you don't see me as a friend." He smiled at him.

Ever since they first met, Ren has done nothing except look out for Kazuma and treated him like a friend. He was always nice to him even when Kazuma himself was curt or standoffish. It was incredible to see that even someone like Ren, who's had rumors spread about him and his name slandered, is still able to retain a kind and selfless nature.

But Kazuma knew they could never be friends because Ren deserved a better friend than someone like him.

"I'm sorry." He apologized out of nowhere which confused the probationer.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was apologizing.

"I'm sorry that I've been such an ass when you've been so kind. And, I wish I could take it all back. But, I can't. All I can do now is try to make things right. With you, Shiho, and the others." He said as he turned around and left. "See you tomorrow."

"Y-Yeah. Have a good day, Kazuma." Ren waved goodbye as his partner took his leave. He wasn't expecting an apology like that but he surmised that Kazuma was beginning to regret his past interactions with him and the others. It was astounding how much he's changed in the last couple of days.

"Brown-Hair's a bit nicer don't you think?" Morgana pointed out.

"Yeah." Ren nodded, agreeing with the cat. "I always knew he was a good guy deep down. A bit rough around the edges yes, but a good guy."

"Agreed." The cat nodded. "So, what do you want to do now?"

Ren thought over the best ways to kill time, not wanting to head back to Leblanc early with Sojiro still tending to his store. He then remembered that Ann was visiting Suzui at the hospital today. Maybe he could go down there and support her as well as check in on Suzui's condition.

Making his decision, he mad his way to the hospital.

* * *

Once arriving at the hospital, Ren was directed to the room Suzui was staying in. Morgana decided to take his leave as he knew he wasn't allowed in the hospital but made Ren swear that he'll cheer up Ann. He told the cat he'll do his best.

When he showed up, he found Ann standing outside of her room, her eyes red, probably from crying. She wasn't dressed in her school uniform, opting for a more casual attire on a Sunday. A lavender blue button-up shirt under a red and white jersey jacket with an S symbol near the front bottom on one side. She has a white skirt, black leggings, and red converse shoes. She also wears big red round earrings.

Judging from her saddened look, it's highly likely that the news isn't good. Seeing Ann in teras like this sent a wave of pain through Ren's heart. He hated seeing her like this.

When she told him about Kamoshida's harassment back at the Shibuya Diner, he remembered the tears and how much he hated seeing her like that, seeing her cry because of some asshole bothering her. He was proud of being able to offer her comfort that day. But now...

 _Ann... Kazuma... they're in pain and I can't do anything_. Ren clenched his fists, hating this useless feeling. For the time being, he put it aside and decided to do something now. He walked over to Ann in hopes of providing her comfort once more.

"Ann." He greeted, getting her attention.

"Huh?" She looked over to see that he was here. "R-Ren? What are you doing here?

"I wanted to check in on you, and Suzui-san." He said, leaning against the wall next to her. "How is she doing?"

"Her condition is stable. But they..." She paused a bit, her nose was running from crying so much. "They don't know when she'll wake up. I-If she'll wake up."

"Ann, you can't think like that." He told her, worried as she was already thinking of the worst-case scenario. "You said her condition is stable right? So she has a chance. You have to believe that she'll come through."

"It's hard, Ren. It's so hard." More tears were starting to form. It must've been unbearable seeing her friend like this, in a hospital trapped in a coma.

"Ann." He winced at her tears forming again. He thought he could provide her comfort again but his resolve was waning at the sight of her sadness. It hurt, being unable to cheer up the people he cared about. "I'm so sorry."

"Wha?" She looked back at him and heard an apology for some reason. She was confused. Why was he apologizing? "Why are you apologizing Ren?"

"Because you're hurting right now and I can't do anything to help. I can't even cheer you up." Now his eyes were beginning to water. "I hate seeing you like this. I hate seeing my friends in pain."

"Ren." She called but he didn't look at her. The sight of her sadness had become unbearable for him. "Look at me." He didn't. "Please. Look at me." He couldn't ignore her pleads. He didn't want to ignore her and so he complied. He looked to see that even through her tear-stained eyes, she was able to form a smile. "Do you remember when we talked at the diner?"

"I could never forget." He nodded.

"That day, you were there for me when everyone else just ignored me. You helped me when no one else did. You're saying you can't do anything to help, but you are helping." She told him. "You're helping by being here with me."

"Ann." After hearing her, he now realized that he didn't need to use words to provide comfort, he just needed to be there for his friends, just like he was there for Ann. Everyone ignored her while she was in pain but he couldn't, because he cared about her. He wanted to stop the pain and make her smile. If he could do that simply with his company alone, then this is the least he could do. "If being here will help ease the pain, just a little bit, then I'll be here as long as you need me too."

"Thank you, Ren." She spread out her arms, wanting a hug and so he obliged, wrapping his arms around her while hers went around his neck. "You're a really good friend."

"I try." He replied.

 _Kamoshida, you have caused so much pain. You hurt Ann and Suzui-san, you made Ryuji into a pariah just for standing up to your crap, and you placed the blame of your actions onto Kazuma_. Ren growled in his thoughts. _If you're the praying type, I'd start now because starting tomorrow, not even God will save you. Me and my friends will steal the distortions in your rotten heart!_

* * *

Ren arrived back home later, having spent more time with Ann and then walked her home. He was in a much better mood than earlier, glad to be able to provide comfort to his friend once again. Arriving at Leblanc, he found Morgana standing outside the entrance.

"Took you long enough." The cat complained. "How's Lady Ann?"

"She's all right." He told him.

"I knew I could trust you. You're a good man, Joker." Morgana complimented.

"Thanks, bud." He squatted down, opening his bag to let the cat in. Once he was in, he entered the cafe to find Sojiro dealing with a customer.

"Boss, did you hear? Apparently, that subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing." The haughty customer stated from the booth he was sitting in.

 _They must be talking about those mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. They've been causing Tokyo quite a stir_. Ren thought.

"You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people're going on about?" Sojiro asked.

"Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn't even speak when they tried asking him questions." The customer continued.

"There's no way a preposterous story like that could be true." The cafe owner stated, disbelieving the customer's beliefs.

 _Stranger things have happened before, Sakura-san. Such as entering a person's distorted reality through the use of a phone app_. Ren kept that thought to himself though.

"Oh, and sorry, but we're closing soon," Sojiro told the customer.

"Hmph, how rude. This must be why you don't get many customers." The customer scoffed at his attitude. "Your coffee's actually not half bad. The beans must be lamenting the sorry state of this store."

 _Ouch. I get that he offended you but cmon man, that's just petty_. Ren once again kept his thoughts to himself.

"Thanks for stopping in. Please come again." Sojiro said in the nicest way possible.

"Hmph. I only say this out of politeness, but... thanks for the coffee." The customer got out of the booth and paid for his cup of coffee, walking past Ren and heading out the door. "Grumpy asshole." The probationer heard the customer mutter under his breath as he left the cafe.

"Sheesh, what a pain." The cafe owner lets out a tired sigh at having to deal with a haughty customer like that before noticing Ren had returned. "Oh, you're back."

"Evening, Sakura-san," Ren replied. "How's business?"

"Doesn't concern you." Sojiro curtly stated. "It's all good as long as the shop doesn't fail. I'm not gonna go wearing a fake smile."

"Is that a motto of yours?" He asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing like that." The cafe owner shook his head. "As long as I'm here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It's like my own personal hideaway."

 _Hiding from the world and the people, huh Sakura-san? Looks likes Kazuma was spot on when he said most people would prefer to ignore the problems of the world rather than accept them_. Ren thought.

"I'd be kinda screwed if I lost it, but I guess you would be too." He pointed out. "So you better at least try and be useful around here."

"Useful is my middle name." Ren joked, smiling at the cafe owner who simply rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I'm leaving now. Don't cause any trouble." Sojiro said as he closed up shop and left the cafe, leaving Ren all alone.

"We're just about ready to go to the Palace," Morgana stated and he leaped out of Ren's bag. "We just need to assemble some infiltration tools."

"I'm one step ahead of you my friend." The probationer stated as he walked up the stairs to his room, Morgana following after. He went over to his work desk and cleared of the materials, leaving it available as a means of creating infiltration tools.

"Great, now you can make things whenever you want!" The cat cheered.

"All right, bud. What can we make today?" Ren asked.

"Let's try making a lockpick," Morgana said. "Some Silk Yarn and a Tin Clasp should do the trick."

"Well lucky for us this attic was a place for storage before I turned it into Casa De Amamiya." Ren looked through the materials he discarded and found the necessary tools needed to make a lockpick. "Thank you Sojiro Sakura."

Morgana was kind enough to talk him through the whole process. He was curious as to how he knew about infiltration tools but believed the cat would just refer to his lost memory so he left the issue alone. After a few minutes of working, he was able to make a few lockpicks.

"You're a natural Joker! Great job!" The cat complimented, proud of his leader.

"Well, I have a great teacher." Ren smiled, giving Morgana a little pat on the head.

"We should be ready now." He stated in a serious tone. "We're heading into the Palace tomorrow. Let's get some sleep."

"Right." He nodded. He immediately changed into his pajamas and went to bed. Before he went to bed, he wanted to shoot a quick text to Kazuma first.

 **Ren: Hey Kazuma.**

 **Kazuma: What is it, Ren?**

 **Ren: Did everything go OK?**

 **Kazuma: I hid the weapons in a trash can in the alleyway.**

 **Ren: Nice. Also, I went to the hospital today.**

 **Kazuma: And?**

 **Ren: I thought you'd want an update on Shiho's condition.**

Kazuma didn't text back right away. Maybe the boy was trying to find the right words to ask. After a short pause, Ren received another text.

 **Kazuma: How is she?**

 **Ren: So far, her condition is stable. The Doctors don't know when she'll wake up though.**

 **Kazuma: I see. Thanks.**

 **Ren: There's still hope, Kazuma. You just have to believe in her. I know you can't face her right now but when this is all over, you should go visit her.**

 **Kazuma: I want to. There's so much I want to tell her.**

 **Ren: Then believe that she'll wake up.**

 **Kazuma: I'll try.**

Ren smiled, believing that this text conversation was able to lift his partner's spirits a little.

 **Kazuma: So, tomorrow's the day, huh?**

 **Ren: That's right.**

With this next text, the following day's events would be set in stone. The newly formed Phantom Thieves would proceed with their mission.

 **Ren: Ready yourself, Reaper. Tomorrow we take on Kamoshida.**

* * *

 **4/18 - Monday**

Ren and Kazuma walked to school together as they normally did. Ann wasn't at the station as she had already taken the earlier train to get to school. While walking down the street to the Shujin entrance, Ren spoke with his partner.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Kazuma nodded.

"You sure the guns will still be there?" Ren wondered as anyone could've looked into the trash can and find their guns.

"I hid it in one of the trash cans. Trust me, it'll still be there," He assured him.

"You guys seem prepared. I'm counting on you two." Morgana said from within the bag.

"Trust me, we won't disappoint," Ren smirked.

"Ren." Kazuma stopped him as he looked towards the entrance of the school.

"Huh?" The probationer was confused before looking towards what Kazuma was staring at. "Oh, crap."

The scumbag himself, Kamoshida, was standing at the entrance of the school, greeting students walking in.

"Good morning. C'mon, hurry up and get to class!" He cheeringly said to students passing by.

That cheerful act made the two transfer students sneer in disgust, that he would act in such a way after everything he's done.

"God, I hate that stupid face." Kazuma sneered.

"Same." Ren nodded.

"Keep your calm, guys. Don't let him get to you." Morgana whispered.

"Right." The probationer said. "Let's go."

With reluctance, the two walked over to the entrance as they needed to get to class. Once they did, Kamoshida spotted them. The gym teacher didn't sneer or smugly look at the two but rather, held a normal expression.

"Good morning." The gym teacher greeted.

"Hmph." Kazuma glared at the man for giving such a simple greeting after what he did.

"Good morning, Mr. Kamoshida." Ren gave a fake smile.

Once greetings were over, the two looked away from the disgusting man and focused on getting into school. But once they walked past him, they heard him whisper.

"That admirable behavior won't do you any good once you're expelled." Kamoshida smugly said, mocking the two.

Ren should've just ignored him. He knew the teacher was going to get his just deserts when they infiltrate his Palace. But, since the scumbag medalist was already dead set on trying to get them expelled, he had nothing to lose saying this.

"So you say." Ren adjusted his glasses, hiding his smirk. "But not even you know what the future holds."

"What was that?" Kamoshida frowned as he heard the probationer talk back to him.

"What's the matter? You deaf?" Kazuma retorted. He must've shared the same sentiment as Ren as he joined in. "What a joke. Let's go."

Ren walked ahead of Kazuma but before they could take another step, the later felt someone grab his arm. He looked to see that Kamoshida had grabbed him, his face contorted in anger.

"You are really pushing your luck, you defiant pieces of garbage." The gym teacher sneered at the transfer students for talking to them in such a way.

Kazuma did not appreciate this monster grabbing his arm like that and so he gave him his signature glare.

"Your hand is on my arm." Just seeing him up close pissed him off, the mere sight of him repulsed him. Kazuma growled and unknown to him, his eyes glowed a faint red one more. "Get. It. Off."

"Wha?" Kamoshida took a step back, releasing his grip on the boy as he swore he saw his eyes change color for a split second. Realizing he was wasting time, he decided to leave. "Whatever." He muttered and went into the school.

"Gah!" Kazuma clutched his head, feeling a small bit of pain.

"Kazuma?" Ren was stunned to see Kamoshida terrified for a bit but it was incredibly satisfying to watch. But that satisfaction broke when he saw his partner clutch his head. He walked back down to check on him.

"Is it a headache?!" Morgana popped his head out to check on Kazuma.

"No, I'm just clutching my head for no reason." He sarcastically said. "It wasn't like my previous ones. It was brief and I wasn't able to see the castle."

"Well whatever it was, it scared off Kamoshida." Ren smiled. "Maybe your Reaper Vision isn't so bad after all. You know, minus the headaches."

"Reaper Vision?" Kazuma gave him a deadpanned look. "Is that seriously what you're going to call it?"

"You got a better name for it?" He questioned teasingly.

Kazuma simply rolled his eyes, realizing they spent more time outside then they should've.

"We should get to class." He said as he entered the school with Ren following after.

The two made their way to their respective classrooms. Ren did his best to focus on the subjects even with the impending mission that will take place afterward. During English, Ren felt a vibration in his pocket. Ryuji or Kazuma must've sent him a text. He, along with Ann, pulled out their phones to reply.

 **Ryuji: So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning. He was just standing there looking at me with this shit-eating grin on his face.**

 **Ann: Ugh, that's annoying. He was probably mocking you.**

 **Ren: Did he bother you, Ann?"**

 **Ann: No, he ignored me. But the mere sight of him just pisses me off.**

 **Kazuma: Same. Asshat was outside waiting when me and Ren arrived.**

 **Ryuji: You guys too?**

 **Ren: Yep, and believe it or not, our friendly neighborhood Reaper actually scared him off.**

 **Ryuji: No shit?**

 **Ann: Reaper?**

 **Kazuma: He means me.**

 **Ryuji: Remind me to give you a high-five after class, dude. Seriously though, seeing that got me even more fired up about this.**

 **Ann: Yeah, I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too. And I won't let myself get exhausted like last time.**

 **Ren: You'll do great Ann. I'm sure of it.**

 **Ann: Thanks Ren. :)**

 **Ryuji: The board meeting is May 2nd. We just need to take care of Kamoshida before then.**

 **Kazuma: I'm ready for this.**

 **Ryuji: Same goes for me.**

 **Ann: Me too!**

 **Ren: All right, gang. Let's meet on the rooftop after school.**

With the conversation over, Ren and Ann put their phones away and listened to the rest of the lecture.

* * *

Once school was over, the group met on the rooftop to begin their meeting. That girl with the pink sweater wasn't there like last time nor were there any members of the Gardening club so it should be safe to hold their meeting here.

"All right guys. Let's get the meeting started." Ren said, officially beginning the first official infiltration meeting.

"We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the treasure from Kamoshida, right?" Ann asked.

"But wait, what even is a Treasure? I wanna know that before we do anything." Ryuji stated curiously.

"A treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler's distorted desires. In other words, it's the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble... I think." Morgana said even though he was a bit unsure. "Having said all that, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be."

"And where can we find it?" Ann wondered.

"There's no way of knowing that until we go in and find out. But if I guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace." The cat theorized.

"So, odds are it'll be heavily guarded," Kazuma added.

"Eh, I think I get it now. We just gotta find the Treasure, yeah?" Ryuji asked.

"Pretty much. There's just a lot we won't know until we go in." The cat continued.

"Well, there's no time like the present. Let's go." Ren said as he got off the wall, leaving the rooftop with the others following after him.

The group left the school and made their way to the alleyway to begin their infiltration.

"Oh, I forgot! What about our guns?!" The spiky blonde exclaimed.

"They're right here." Kazuma went over to a trash can, opened it and pulled out the bag containing their guns.

"Ew! You put them in the trash, Kazuma!?" Ann grimaced a little.

"Where else was I supposed to hide them?" He glared.

"All right guys, cmon." The group focused on Ren who pulled out his phone, tapping on the navigation app.

 **"Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle..."**

"Get ready everyone," Ren announced as the world around them became distorted, leaving the real world and entering the castle.

* * *

Once the group arrived at the castle entrance, they found themselves back into their thief attires and Morgana in his real form. The boys looked over at Ann and saw that she was back in her latex attire. Ryuji blushed at the sight of her in such an outfit and Morgana was close to drooling.

"But daaamn." Ryuji, now Skull in this world, said in regards to Ann's outfit.

"Hm? What's up?" Ann asked, her focus now back on the guys as she was busy looking at the castle to notice that she was being ogled.

"N-Nothing." He tried to save himself from getting caught. "I was just thinkin' we should choose a code name for you too."

"A code name?" She questioned.

"We think it's safer if we don't go using our real names when we're in this world. It's a safety precaution." Joker explained it to her.

"Oh, I get it." She nodded, agreeing with the safety precaution. "So, what are yours."

"I'm Skull. They're Joker and Reaper, and that's Mona." Ryuji pointed to each of them.

"Oh, so that's why Ren called you Reaper in the group chat," Ann said to Reaper. "That's actually fitting."

"Whatever." He shrugged.

"And you're Joker?" Ann asked and Joker nodded. She smiled with approval. "I like it. It's really cool."

"Heh, thanks." Joker smiled back.

Mona cleared his throat, getting Ann's attention. "Judging by your costume. Hmm." The cat tried to come up with a code name.

"I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so..." Skull thought it over. "Kitty Woman?"

"What?" Ann replied in response to the code name he came up with. "Wait! Is that what you're going to call me from now on?! I am SO not down with this!"

"What do you wish to be called, Ann?" Joker asked.

"Um, something better than just a little cat." She grumbled before thinking of a code name for herself. "Maybe... 'Panther'? That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"

"Panther?" Joker repeated.

"Huh? Why?" Skull questioned the code name.

"'Cause it sounds more... ferocious?" She continued.

"She's a cougar!" Mona purred which got a reaction from the Panther.

"Don't call me that!" She glared at the cat.

"Can we get back on track?" Reaper interrupted the spat as they needed to focus on their mission.

"Right..." Ann, now known as Panther, nodded in agreement.

"All right, let's start fresh and keep goin'!" Skull said, pumped to finally get started.

"It's game time from this point forward," Mona stated. "I'll teach you guys the basics of infiltrating a Palace as we go."

As they nodded, the walked towards the castle to begin their infiltration. As Joker followed, suddenly he noticed that time around him started to slow down. Soon enough, it stopped completely, with only him completely mobile.

"What the?" He asked.

 **"Inmate. We wish to speak with you."**

Joker recognized the voice, it belonged to that of Justine, one of the twin wardens from the velvet room. Which meant...

"Here we go." Joker groaned as he closed his eyes.

* * *

Once he opened his eyes again, he found himself his velvet room prison cell, wearing his inmate attire. He approached the cell door, wondering what Igor and the twins wanted this time.

"The prisoner Ren Amamiya has returned." Caroline declared.

"Well done. It seems you have remembered my words." Igor said in satisfaction. "You truly make it worth rehabilitating you."

"I still don't understand. What do you mean by 'rehabilitation'?" Ren asked as he was still confused by what the man meant by that. However, the long-nosed man simply chuckled at his confusion.

"I am not attempting to withhold information from you." He assured the prisoner. "The essence of the rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time. Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality, only then will I explain it all."

"Well..." Ren was getting a headache thinking about all of this but he chose to just go with it in hopes of getting more answers from this man in the future. "Ok."

"Such a day should not be far off." Igor finished. "Now, I believe Caroline and Justine would like a word with you. Girls, you may take it from here."

At his signal, the twin wardens got in front of his cell, blocking the view from Igor. He took a few steps back and sat on the ground, focusing his attention on the girls.

"You two wanted to talk to me?" He asked.

"Yes, we wished to talk to you about the aid we are providing," Justine answered his question.

"Aid? What kind of aid?" He questioned but Caroline smacked the cell door in annoyance.

"Shut up and we'll tell you, inmate!" She frowned.

"Due to your potential in wielding the power of the wild card, you can handle more than one Persona." Justine continued.

"That power holds infinite possibilities. When you form partnerships, a new Persona is born and we help you unlock it. You should be grateful." Caroline stated.

"Still, to think it was Ara Mitama who answer your call." The calm-composed warden thought loudly, looking at her clipboard.

"How a weakling like you was able to unlock a Persona like that, I have no idea." The short-tempered warden sighed. "I guess you deserve at least some praise for finishing your penal labor. You might actually complete your rehabilitation if you unlock more Personas like that."

"Indeed." Justine smiled. "It seems we underestimated you."

"Hmph. It's rare to see you smile, Justine." Caroline pointed out.

"You are the smiling one, Caroline. Did something happen to make you so joyful?" Her sister asked.

"Me?" She gasped, wondering what her sister meant before she heard chuckling coming from inside the cells. She looked over and saw that Ren was laughing under his breath which made her a little mad. "Hey, are you laughing at us?"

"I-It's hard not to! You two are so adorable!" Ren chuckled some more which enraged Caroline to the point where she hit his cell again.

"Know your place, Inmate!" She growled.

"As wardens, we simply feel satisfaction in seeing your rehabilitation progress. That is the extent of it." Justine shook her head disappointingly. "I find it upsetting that you would see such a matter as a source of amusement."

"Well, if anyone's to blame, it's you two for being so cute." He winked at the two which caused his wardens to blush at the compliment.

"C-Cute?! Gah! it's like you forget where you are, Inmate!" Caroline couldn't help but get flustered a bit mad at his suave attitude. "You've got some real guts though! With that spirit, you should have no trouble making progress!"

"Moving on, let us talk about the Personas you've currently unlocked." Justine pulled two cards, one where the cherub is not focused on the center figure and one with a magician performing a bloody experiment. "The Lovers and The Magician. Well done. If you have to will to unlock more Personas, we can assist you in improving them. It is a deal between us, the wardens, and you, the inmate."

"Not like you have the right to turn it down though! Hard work is what you're meant to do, Inmate!" The short-tempered warden stated.

"Well then..." He reached out and the cards from Justine's hand flew into the cell, transfiguring into a single mask which landed into his hands. More Personas? He liked the sound of that. "Looks like we have a deal."

There was still so much he didn't know, but, if these girls were willing to help him, then so be it. He'll choose to trust them. For now.

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **It shall become the wings of rebellion**_

 _ **that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **With the birth of the Strength Persona,**_

 _ **I have obtained the blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.**_

...

 _All right_. He nodded as he accepted his partnership with the wardens.

"Maybe a new Persona will be born from this deal." Justine theorized.

"Too bad you're not strong enough to handle a Persona like that." Caroline mocked. "Sucks to be you, Inmate."

"Just you wait, cutie. I'll get there." Ren stood up tall. "You'll never see it coming."

"S-Stop calling me cute!" She exclaimed. "That's it. Back! Back to the real world!"

"Wait, before I go." He stopped them before they sent him back. "I need to ask. Are you two and Igor causing Kazuma's headaches?"

The moment they heard the name, the two wardens fell silent, their expressions unreadable. It was as if they didn't know the answer to his question.

"Is he a prisoner here too?" Ren asked curiously.

"He..." Justine paused before shaking his head. "He is not."

"If it's not you guys, then what's happening to him?" He asked again.

"You should worry more about yourself than the issues of some Outsider, Inmate," Caroline stated.

"Outsider?" There's that title again, the same title Igor gave in regards to Kazuma.

"His issues have nothing to do with us. Focus on your rehabilitation and maybe you'll find the answer yourself." Justine said. "Now, it is time for you to return."

They didn't answer his question so it looked like he would have to figure it out himself. Ren closed his eyes in hopes of returning back to the castle.

* * *

Joker opened his eyes to see time flowing once again. He looked on to see his teammates walking ahead in the direction of the castle entrance.

"Hmm?" Reaper stopped when he noticed their leader wasn't with them. He turned around to see that he was standing still, apparently in a daze. "Joker? Something wrong?"

"Huh?" He questioned as his teammates noticed that he wasn't walking with them.

"Why're you spacin' out like that? It's kinda hard to tell what you're thinkin' sometimes." Skull stated.

"Let's just say he's a man of high caliber." Mona complimented.

"Is everything all right, Ren?" Panther asked with concern before noticing her mistake. "Oh! Sorry, Joker!"

"I-It's nothing." He shook it off, getting back to the task at hand. "All right guys. Let's do this."

They nodded and went on ahead. Joker brought up his hand, looking at the identical mask in his clutches, two new personas, a gift from the twin wardens. He slammed the mask into his own, merging the two together and smirked.

"It's showtime." He said, walking after the others.

Arriving at the castle entrance, the group stopped to talk about their game plan.

"So, where do we start?" Skull asked.

"Let's head to the safe room we found last time," Mona said.

"Safe room?" Panther asked confused.

"There are rooms in this castle where the shadows can't enter. We use them as safe rooms to rest and recuperate." Joker explained it to her.

"Oh? That's convenient." She replied.

"You mean we have to go all the way back there?" The spiky blonde complained.

"It's not that far," Reaper said, pulling out his phone. "Maybe this app comes with a map and... oh?"

He looked at a section of the app that showed what appeared to be a map of the areas they've already covered but also a section that said "Quick Travel". He tapped it and three slots appeared before him. They were labeled Castle Gate, Underground Prison, and West Building 1F. As Reaper looked at these slots, he wondered what would happen if he pressed one.

"Quick Travel, huh?" He questioned. "West Building 1F? That was the last safe room we were in. So if I press it..."

Reaper tapped onto the slot. Once he did, he noticed the atmosphere around him was becoming distorted again.

"Don't complain, Skull. It's in the first floor of the west building." Mona chastised. "That's pretty close to our usual entrance it should be a pretty decent starting..." The world around them begins to change and suddenly, they found themselves not at the castle gate point, but in the safe room that they were talking about, shocking the others completely. "...point?"

"Whoa! Nuh uh!" Skull took a step back, looking around. "What the eff just happened?!"

The group looked around and saw that they had somehow magically appeared in the safe room. Joker walked over and placed his hand on the table. It was no illusion.

"What? How did we?" Panther was confused, just as confused as the others.

Then they all turned to Reaper who froze as he was just as stunned as the others were. He was still holding the phone in his hand and as he looked down, he was still in the Quick Travel menu.

"Uh, I think this brought us here." He showed the phone to Joker.

"Quick Travel?" He questioned as he looked at his partner's phone. "Well, that's new."

"That app is something else." Mona whistled a little. "I guess that's that."

Standing in the safe room, Panther noticed that the room was a little distorted, first it was a safe room then it was an office. and then it was a safe room again.

"Guys, what's with this room?!" She said, a little weirded out.

"It's just a gap in the cognition." The cat explained.

"Yeah, still not getting it." She said.

"Right?" Skull added.

"I'll explain," Joker told her. "Basically, these rooms represent parts of the school that Kamoshida has little to no control over. So in this castle, those rooms become..."

"...safe rooms and his goons can't enter because of that?" She was starting to understand thanks to Joker's assistance.

"Exactly." He nodded.

Mona groaned a bit at having his thunder stolen by Joker as he wanted to explain the situation to Panther.

"So in this world, it looks like a safe room." He continued. "But in the real world, it's..."

"The school faculty office." Reaper finished his sentence.

They all looked towards the boy who somehow answered the question. They waited it out and the room became distorted once more. It was difficult to see but it did indeed look like the school faculty office. The question is, how did he know that?

"Yeah, the school faculty office," Joker said as his eyes were still trained on his partner.

"It makes sense, I guess. Bastard always spent his time in the Practice Building." Skull added.

"Well, since we're here, get ready guys, we leave in five," Joker commanded as Skull, Panther, and Mona sat at the table. The probationer walked over to Reaper to get some answers. "It happened when we were here last time, didn't it?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Okay," Joker replied. "If it happens again, let me know, all right?"

"Sure." Reaper nodded as he went over to the couch.

Joker went and peeked out the door to check and see if there were any shadows nearby. The hallway was clear. However, he could hear rattling noise coming from beyond the door at the end of the hallway. As he squinted, suddenly the world around him became dark.

 _Wha?_ As the world became dark, beyond the door, he could see light blue silhouettes walking around. Realizing that there were enemies beyond the door, he closed the door to the safe room and his vision returned normally. What just happened? He tried it again and he got the same result. S _o like Kazuma, I have a visual prowess too? This must be Igor's doing. I swear, my life is becoming a low budget anime._

He retreated from the door and walked over to the table where Reaper placed the bag of guns on the table, giving the weapons to Skull and Panther while tossing the spare pistol to Joker and putting his own spare away.

"Sweet. Now, this is more like it." Skull smiled as he took the shotgun.

"This is pretty cool." Panther examined her SMG, giving Joker a smile of thanks. "Thanks, Joker."

"No problem." He said before getting everyone's attention. "All right, you guys ready?" when they all nodded, he turned around with a flap of his coat, adjusting his gloves and pulled out his dagger. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

As they patrolled their rounds, they heard a noise coming from the hallway, as if someone kicked a door open. One shadow approached the door to the hallway while the other stayed back.

Suddenly, the door flew open and an intruder with a dark green hood shot the shadow in the face, killing it before to could turn into its true form.

"Intruder!" The other shadow exclaimed.

"Panther!" Joker commanded.

"Dance Carmen!" She summoned forth her Persona, casting an Agi into the direction of the shadow, killing it.

"Clear!" Reaper said as there were no enemies in the area.

"Good job on catching them by surprise Joker." Mona complimented as the leader collected the yen from their bodies. "How'd you know there were shadows in here?"

"Well..." He could tell them about his new visual power but he decided to keep anything he gained from the velvet room a secret for the time being as it would only confuse them. At the very least, he could tell Kazuma about it but only after their infiltration was over. "I could hear noises from beyond the door. Plus, it always helps to be prepared for everything."

"Spoken like a true Phantom Thief. Nicely done, Joker." Mona jumped in satisfaction before walking over to the next room. "We haven't explored past here yet. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious as we push on."

The group continued on until they came upon a room with a large cage, metal bars keeping the thieves from entering.

"Look! There's something in there." Skull pointed to the item on the table that the cage held within. "But the bars're blockin' our way in."

"If he's protecting it this securely, it has to be important. That means there should be a way in and out of there." Mona believed. "Joker, do you think you can solve the mystery of this room?"

"Well..." He smirked as he knew what he could use to help him solve the mystery. "I'll give it a shot."

Soon the room grew dark, and he saw blue footprints leading him in a direction. He followed them which led him to a head with a lever sticking out of its mouth. The head was glowing blue as well which meant it was the right one. He pulled it and noticed its eyes shut. However, he wasn't finished as he saw that it wasn't glowing blue again when he used his power. He looked down and saw more footprints. Following the footprints, walking back to where he started, he found another lever hanging from glowing head. He pulled it and its eyes shut, finally completing the puzzle as the bars went up, allowing them entry.

"Woah!" Skull said, astounded.

"As expected from you, Joker!" Mona complimented.

"Good job, Joker!" Panther did the same.

They walked over to the table to collect the unknown item. As it turns out, the item was an old castle map.

"What the hell? He had it all locked up and shit, but it was just some old map? Skull complained as he was hoping for some kind of treasure or even more money.

"You're hopeless. Don't you realize how vital a map is?" The cat chastized. "Having this will give us a better grasp of the topography of the Palace. It's a true necessity for a Phantom Thief."

"This should make securing a route easier." Reaper stated.

"Exactly." Mona nodded.

"Wait, does it say where the Treasure is on there?" Panther asked.

"No, it seems like this map is incomplete." Joker noticed, picking up the map and looked it over before placing it in his coat. "There might be more of them around. Be sure to keep an eye out, guys."

Leaving the are, they went down another hallway and found themselves in the upper level of the central hall. Joker looked around and saw that the only way forward was up. They climbed up and reached the chandeliers, hopping to the next to reach their destination. Once they did, they entered another room which contained what appeared to be a treasure chest.

"A treasure chest?" Reaper noticed.

"Is this the Treasure?!" Panther wondered.

"No, it's not," Mona stated walking over to the chest. "Hmm. It's locked. It needs a..."

"Lockpick," Joker smirked, pulling one out. "I'm one step ahead of you, my friend."

He walked over to the chest and went to work. He took his time, not wishing to break the lockpick. Soon enough, he unlocked the chest and it flew open.

"You're a natural at this, Joker." Mona complimented.

"I do my best." He said, reaching into the chest to collect it's contents only to find a simple Onyx. He picked it up and showed it to the others. "It's an Onyx."

"Not much use for that, unless you wish to sell it later," Reaper said.

"Maybe once we're back in the real world." He pocked the Onyx and moved and approached the nearby door, feeling a gap in the distortions, meaning it was a safe room.

"Safe room," Joker said as he entered the room with the others. "Reaper, is that Quick Travel section updated on the app?"

"Let me check." He pulled out the app and saw that a new slot when he tapped on Quick Travel. "Central Hall 2F. Yeah, we got it."

"All right. Let's try to mark down all the safe rooms." The probationer said, looking to the others. "You guys ready to head out again?" They nodded as none of them were tired and were ready to get back out there. "All right. Let's go."

They left the safe room and headed to the next room, the second floor of the East Building.

"If the map's right, we still got a long way to go," Skull said

"Let's keep moving," Joker commanded.

They walked down the stairs and headed to their next destination. Some shadows blocked their way but Joker, using his visual ability, determined that they were easy pickings, their time in the Palace previously had helped improve their fighting capabilities and their Personas.

"I'll reveal your true form!" Joker said as he ripped off the mask of a shadow, weakening it as it turned into a Pixie.

"Zorro! Show your might!" Mona summoned his Persona, casting a Garu on it.

"Get wrecked!" Skull whipped out his shotgun and shot the shadow, finishing it off.

Two more shadows appeared, seeing that their comrade was in trouble, they turned into an Incubus'

"Shall we Panther?" Joker signaled.

"After you, Joker." She nodded.

They pulled out their respective firearms and shot them down. Just then, another shadow emerged, enraged at the intruders killing their comrades and so transfigured into a troublesome housemaid looking creature to fight back.

"Look out!" Reaper rushed forward, pulling his blades out and cut right through the shadow.

"Clear!" Skull said.

With the shadows all cleared out they moved on, finding themselves in what appeared to be a kitchen. Moving forward, they tried to move on but came across a locked door, preventing them from moving on. Joker looked around before he spotted a ventilation shaft. He climbed up with the others following after and went through the shaft, ending up in another room with a shadow protecting a treasure chest.

"Look, a treasure chest! Let's take whatever is in there too!" Mona purred at the sight.

"Uh, there's a guard there." Panther pointed out.

"We can take it," Joker said as he readied to ambush it. "Ready... now!"

He leaped from his spot and landed on the shadow, ripping off its mask to weaken it. It shook uncontrollably, turning into a Silky. It cast a Bufu in Joker's direction as payback for ripping off its mask.

"Persona!" He summoned forth Arsene who took the blow for its master. "Panther!"

"Carmen!" She summoned forth her Persona, casting an Agi which greatly damaged the shadow to where it fell to the ground.

"Surround it!" Joker commanded as they pointed their firearms at the shadow, trapping it in a Hold-Up.

" **P-Please, spare me! What is it that you wish for?** " The Silky asked.

"Make it worth my time and I'll let you go." He told her.

" **Well... we must talk things over first. I know nothing about you, after all**." She began. " **It's frustrating when others bother me when I have things to do. Won't you just leave me be?** "

"Sorry, I can't do that." He shook his head. "Because, well. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while."

" **What?** " She said confused.

"You're just so irresistible, I just had to get a moment of your time." He flirted which caused the shadow to blush.

" **O-Oh my**." The shadow fanned herself with her hand, feeling her cheeks warm up a bit.

"Are you seriously flirting with a shadow?" Reaper looked at Joker with a disgusted expression.

"Quiet, it's working!" He shushed him.

" **Well, you're kind of irresistible yourself**." She said. " **Truth be told, I don't entirely dislike my time spent with you. In fact... I may even be happy. But is it fair to the others if I find this happiness, leaving them all in the dust?** "

"I'm sure other shadows would understand. After all, your happiness is important." Joker told it. "The question is, do you wish to be happy?"

" **Of course I do**." The silky nodded and then giggled. " **Wow, I've never talked with anyone like this before. You really understand me?** "

"I try my best, especially with beautiful women." He winked, causing the shadow the blush once more.

Panther frowned at this interaction, very confused as to why Joker was conversing with a shadow, even more so that he was flirting with it. She didn't know what was going on or why he was doing this but what she did know was that she didn't like it one bit and her trigger finger was getting itchy.

 **"You deserve something nice for treating me so well. Here**." Silky flew over to the probationer and handed him some money. " **Will I ever see you again?** "

"Count on it." He gave it a thumbs up, even though he was lying. The shadow then surprised him by giving him a hug, his teammates had their fingers on the trigger of their guns should it try anything.

" **Until next time, handsome**." Silky finished and then left the area, leaving the thieves alone.

"Well, she was nice." He chuckled a little.

"You have no shame if you're seriously going to resort to flirting with shadows to get something out of these Hold Ups." Reaper groaned annoyingly.

"Shame is not in my vocabulary, Reaper." He teased.

"What was that all about?" Panther asked, frowning a little.

"Oh, I forgot you don't know yet." Joker explained. "You know how these shadows turn into something else when I rip of their mask?" He asked and she nodded. "Well, that's their true form. They only look like guards because they were corrupted by the Palace. So, once we weaken them, I can talk to them and convince it to give us something in exchange for sparing them."

"That's weird but OK." She said, even though part of her was still bothered by Joker's conversation with the shadow. "So, you didn't mean what you said?"

"Oh, not at all. I just have to keep the conversation going as I think it would've attacked us if I didn't." He told her in which she let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's good." She said happily. "So, what did she give you?"

"Let's see." He counted the money. "¥5000."

"Nice! You got a way with words Joker." Mona complimented. "Now, the treasure chest."

Joker walked over to the chest and opened it easily as it wasn't locked. In it, he didn't find any valuables but rather, a new weapon.

"A new dagger?" Reaper looked at it.

"This could come in handy," Joker said as he replaced his current weapon with a new one.

"All right, let's get movin'," Skull said.

They left the room and walked down the hallway to their destination, passing by the locked door to the kitchen. It was kept locked by some sort of mechanism so Joker went ahead and unlocked the door in case they need to go back.

Enter the door on the left at the end of the corridor, they arrived on the 3rd floor of the East building, walking up the stairs. Before they could move on, Joker found a safe room and wanted to check inside so it would be marked on the Quick Travel section of the app.

"Whew! So far we've made some good progress." Joker said. "How is everyone?"

"So far so good," Skull told him.

"No problems here?" Mona replied.

"It seems like this is taking forever. I don't even know long we've been at this." Panther said.

"Yeah, hopefully, we're getting close." Joker stated. "Reaper, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He simply said.

"All right guys. Let's get back to it." He commanded and they left the safe room.

The thieves then left the room and searched the corridors, coming across a door that was barred by a golden gate. There was a head that had a lever hanging from it, likely the mechanism that will open the gate.

"Hey, this is just like that cage from before!" Skull thought. "If I'm rememberin' right, we just gotta pull this." He tried pulling it down but it wouldn't work. "What the hell?"

"Look," Reaper said, pointing at the slot underneath the head. "That's a round indentation. Odds are this gate won't open unless we fill it with something."

"So we need a key. I wonder where it could be." Panther wondered.

"Let's keep looking," Joker commanded.

They continued through the hallway and came upon a few rooms with lots of shelves filled with books. Joker took note of a few books that stood out using his Third Eye. Mona had a feeling these books would be important later on and that they should take them. After collecting "The Slave Book, The King Book, and the Queen Book" , they continued to look around. So far, it was like they trapped in a maze and their progress was starting to slow down, mainly because all these hallways were starting to look similar.

"Are we lost?" Skull asked.

"I don't think so," Joker said, looking at the map.

"Too many hallways. I'm getting dizzy." Panther groaned.

"Do you need to lean on something Panther. I can help." Mona offered.

"No offense, Mona, but you're too small." She said. "Thanks though."

"N-No problem." The cat blushed a little.

"Guys." Reaper walked over to a new room and took a look inside. He pushed opened the doors and they were greeted with a giant library, likely King Kamoshida's study.

"Whoa, it's so musty." Panther looked around, letting out a sneeze from the dust.

"This definitely seems fishy," Mona stated.

"Ah, I get it. This is one of those libraries with a secret room, right?" Skull believed.

"Well, at least you know that much." The cat playfully mocked.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" The spiky blonde fired back.

"Cmon guys, let's take a look around," Joker said.

They spread out and looked around the library. Joker placed the books he collected on a nearby table as he believed that they would come in handy later. His teammates were spread out, looking at different sections.

"The history of Kamoshida?" Skull read the section he was in. "Tracing Kamoshida's Steps, Kamoshida's Heroisms, Kamoshida's Law. What the hell? All these goddamn books're about Kamoshida!"

"There are all sorts of books here. The titles don't have any rhyme or reason to them." Panther noted.

"Even the books here reflect his ego," Reaper said as he looked through the section he was in. He found one book and backpedaled at the name. "No..."

"Reaper?" Joker heard him mutter. "What's wrong?"

He pulled out a book and showed it to the others.

"Shiho Suzui: The Decent Ass?!" Skull read the title in disgust.

"What?!" Panther marched over to his section and looked it over. "All of the books here are about female students!"

"Holy shit," Skull said as he walked over to the section to check out the books. "Ann Takamki: The Charming Doll?"

"That bastard." Panther growled.

"Anything over there Mona?" Joker asked the cat who was searching over another section of books.

"I got one with a bunch of names." He said, causing them to walk over and look at this section of books.

"These're the names of the volleyball team members!" Skull gasped. "Wait, what the hell?! All of the titles are boys from our school!

"Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape." Mona found a book with Ryuji's name on it. "There's one here for Skull."

"That bastard! Who the hell does he think he is?!" The spiky blonde exclaimed.

During this time, Joker took a look at this section and noticed that in each of these sections, there was one book missing. He checked just to make sure. He was right, each of these sections was missing a single book. Now it was starting to make sense, the talk about Kamoshida's law, the section about female students, and one about the male students. They fit with the titles of the books he found in the other libraries.

"It's a puzzle." Joker theorized.

They all turned to him as they heard him speak.

"Huh?" Skull said confused.

Joker walked over to the books he placed on the table and handed each one to his teammates. "Skull, place this book over in the section talking about Kamoshida. Reaper, put this one over to the section about female students. Panther, this one for the boys section. Each of these sections has a missing book slot. I'm guessing that's where these books are meant to be placed."

They did as he asked. They went over to their respective sections and placed the respective books in the missing slots. They all heard clicks as they put in the books.

Suddenly, an entire section of the library opened up, revealing a hidden room.

"Whoa, it opened up!" Skull exclaimed

"You got it, Joker!" Mona cheered. "Let's take a look inside!"

With a gesture, they followed Joker into the secret room. In the room, they found the key that would open the gate for them.

But that's not all they found.

"Oh my god," Joker said in shock.

As they looked around, they noticed that there were pictures all over the walls. And in these pictures was Shiho Suzui.

"The hell is this room? There're tons of pictures of Suzui in here!" Skull looked around. "Wait. It's all pics of her."

Indeed, all pictures were of Shiho. Some were simple pictures of her at school, sitting on a bench, in the gym playing volleyball. But some were a bit more... obscene. It was those pictures that Panther was focused on and the mere sight of it caused her to shake.

"Panther, don't look." Joker pleaded, touching her shoulder.

She turned around and rested her head comfortably on his shoulder, shielding her eyes from the horrible pictures. She was shaking, a mixture of sadness and anger building up inside of her. Joker placed his hand on her back, patting it to provide comfort.

"Ann." He whispered, there were no shadows around so he figured it was okay to use their real names.

"That bastard." She muttered in his shoulder. "What he did to her. He..."

"We'll make him pay for this." He told her as he brought her head up to meet his eyes, his eyes that promised her justice.

"Yeah..." She frowned with determination, nodding in agreement. "Definitely."

"Let's just collect the key and..." Joker said before noticing his partner was staring at a particular set of pics he could not tear his eyes from. He just stood there not moving a muscle. "Reaper?" He called out but got no answer. "Reaper, you OK?" Still nothing. They walked over to the pictures he was looking at and their eyes widened at what they saw.

In these set of pictures, it wasn't just Shiho, it was her and Kazuma together. One was a picture of them talking in front of the school entrance, another was a picture of them walking to their classroom together. The last one was a picture of them sitting on the bench in the courtyard, their pinky fingers entwined with Shiho smiling happily and Kazuma looking at her with a shocked expression.

"These are...?" Joker looked at the pictures and then at his partner whose expression was unreadable due to hiding behind his hood.

"She looks so happy." Panther noticed, looking at the picture with her smiling.

"He was watching us." Reaper looked down and clenched his fists. He knew what these pictures meant. It meant when he thought he was alone with Shiho, he really wasn't. "He was watching us the whole time. H-He heard everything we said. He..." Unable to stand this anymore, Reaper turned and ran out of the room.

"Reaper! Reaper wait!" Joker ran after his partner, leaving the others in the room.

"Reaper..." Panther whispered, remembering that familiar sadness when he broke down in front of her, blaming himself for everything that happened. She didn't blame him then, she didn't blame him now because it wasn't his fault. Now, he's blaming himself once more.

"Now I feel like shit for calling him out." Skull scratched the back of his head.

"Joker can talk to him," Mona said as he collected the key. "If anyone can, it's him."

* * *

Meanwhile, Joker ran out of the library and into the hallway where Reaper had run off. Outside of the library, he found him, clutching his head in pain, his hood down, and was close to tears.

"Kazuma." He called him by his real name as there were no enemies around.

"He heard everything, Ren." He said sadly. "We were out in the open, anyone could've listened in and he heard everything. EVERYTHING!" He shook his head, leaning against the wall. "Maybe it wasn't just Ann rejecting his advances, maybe he called her to his office just to prove I couldn't protect her, that I couldn't save her. God, what did I do?"

"Kazuma." Joker got his attention and with reluctance, he turned to him. "Those are just pictures, it doesn't mean you're to blame for what happened to Suzui. You have got to stop beating yourself up over this."

"Excuse me?!" He got off the wall and face the probationer, looking at him shockingly. "How can you say that?! I could've stopped this! If I had just told you guys, I..."

"Maybe, maybe not." He interrupted, wanting to get his point across. "Kazuma, you were trying to protect someone you cared about, even though it meant keeping what she told you a secret. Do you honestly think that if anyone was in your shoes that they wouldn't do the exact same thing? I would've done the exact same thing if I was in that situation."

"But..." He tried to argue but Ren wasn't finished.

"Do you want to know why I have a criminal record? Because I tried to save someone." He explained to him the reason behind his arrest in hopes it would help ease his partner's pain. "I was walking home from school when I came across this man aggressively harassing this woman, trying to force her into his car. I wanted to save her. I intervened, and he fell and hurt himself. He was drunk, I could smell it on his breath. But, the moment I intervened, he told me he would sue. He asked the woman to tell the cops that I attacked him for no reason and you know what she did?"

"No..." He replied, stunned by the story.

"She told the cops exactly what he told her to say. I was arrested and now I'm on probation. I tried to help that woman and she lied to the cops. I could tell she was afraid of that man, so afraid she was willing to lie for him even after what he was doing to her." He continued to explain. "I always thought about what I could've done, if there was anything I could've done differently where I could've saved her and put a stop to that man. But, there was no other way and I don't regret trying to save her even though my future is pretty much gone. I would've done it again, a thousand times over."

"Ren. You went through so much." He said, unable to believe that after what he went through, that he was able to still be this kind, selfless person who cares for others.

"Kazuma, Suzui didn't suffer because you weren't at school to protect her, she didn't suffer because Ann refused to give in to Kamoshida's disgusting desires. She suffered because a pathetic, despicable, abusive monster saw her and everyone else as slaves to use and discard. Regardless of what you or Ann could've done, odds are he still would've targeted her, those pictures in there prove it. That should tell you that the only one at fault is that man and that man alone." He placed his hands on Kazuma's shoulders. "Suzui is still alive. You can fulfill your promise to her. You'll be able to protect her fully once we take down Kamoshida. You once told me that you were the kind of person who lives in the present and takes action. So let's take action right here, right now."

He took his word to heart and Ren was right. He needed to stop doubting himself, stop blaming himself, and focus on the present. It's the only way to avenge Shiho and stop Kamoshida.

"All right." He nodded, putting his hood back on, becoming Reaper once more.

"You guys OK?" Panther said as she and the others exited the library.

"We're good." Joker nodded.

"Here's the key." Mona handed Joker the key which appeared to be a medal.

"Check out this map, guys." Skull handed them a map which showed an entirely new section of the castle.

"Look here." Panther said, pointing to the chest icon. "This has to be where the treasure is."

"Looks like a throne room," Reaper said, judging from the layout.

"Well then, let's get going and finish this!" Joker exclaimed, earning nods from his teammates.

They backtracked back to the door that was blocked off from the gate. The medal was placed into the round indentation. The head moved lower and Joker pulled the lever, lowering the gate and allowing them entry.

"Sweet! looks like it worked!" Skull cheered.

"Now we can keep going." Panther smiled.

"This must lead somewhere important. Let's go!" Mona commanded.

The thieves opened the door and entered the East Building Annex. They walked down the hall and felt a gap in the distortions, hinting at another safe room. Reaper entered the safe and walked back out, showing them that it's been marked on the Quick Travel section of the app as "Chapel". They had their time to rest in the library so they decided to keep going.

They continued on when they found themselves in what appeared to be a huge chapel. There was no sign of shadows anywhere and it was a little too quiet for comfort.

"This place is huge. Yet, there are no guards? That seems suspicious." Mona thought.

"But the Treasure's up ahead, right? We don't got a choice but to keep goin'." Skull said.

As they walked into the chapel, they were met with a large statue of King Kamoshida in all his "glory", wearing that same bathrobe and pink underwear.

The room suddenly became distorted and they were able to see what this chapel represented.

"Wait, was that... the gym?" Panther noticed.

"I get it. The gym's some kinda holy place for him. He's a god there." Skull sneered at the sight of the statue.

"This is a whole new level of narcissism." Reaper stated.

"I can't believe he can think like that, especially after what he did to Shiho." Panther growled in disgust.

"God, that bastard makes me so freakin' sick! Just you wait, Kamoshida!" Skull cursed at the statue.

"To think you little shits would come back and sully my chapel with your stink!"

"That voice." Joker recognized.

Soon enough, he finally showed up. Kamoshida's shadow made himself known, stepping from around his statue, facing the thieves in person.

"This is a holy place after all. Trash like you isn't welcome here." He smirked at the intruders.

"Kamoshida!" Panther growled, pulling out her whip.

"Long time no see, Takamaki. My, does your bod really show in that outfit." King Kamoshida said in regards to her outfit.

"Don't talk to her!" Joker yelled, getting in front of Panther. "Don't even look at her!"

"Joker..." She whispered, able to feel the anger emitting from his voice which surprised her.

"Oh great, the criminal is back again." He sighed annoyingly, looking at the others. "As well as that stupid cat, Sakamoto, and Kazuma. Don't you guys have anything better to do than stink up my castle?"

"Who are you calling a cat, you pervert!" Mona exclaimed.

"You looking to get your ass handed to you, you piece of shit?!" Skull asked threateningly, tapping his pipe with his hand.

"I heard my library was tampered with, I'm guessing you saw my little secrets inside?" He said smugly.

"You bastard." Reaper glared at him. "Showing your face was a terrible mistake. You're going to wish you hadn't."

"Ah, Kazuma. Always glaring at everybody. You truly disappoint me the most." He shook his head. "I actually liked you, you know? I was willing to let your terrible attendance record from your previous school slide and let you join the team. You could've had a future. Instead, you chose to throw it away. Why is that? I never did anything to you. You have no reason to defy me. Are you doing this out of obligation to these scum? Or… are you doing this… because of her? Because... of Suzui?" At the mention of her name from his lips, Reaper clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and face flinched.

"Y-You…!" He growled. "You don't have the right to say her name."

He noticed and laughed, finding the whole thing to be audacious. "HAHAHAHA! Oh, this is rich! So you're doing all of this for some worthless bitch who took pity on you? I don't know why you would bother, she was a decent piece of ass if anything else."

"SHUT UP!" He yelled at him, pulling out his blades. "Don't talk about her like that!"

"That's it!" Skull ran towards the King with his pipe in hand.

"Sakamoto, Sakamoto, when will you learn." He grinned as he snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, a golden knight appeared in front of his shielding Skull's attack with his shield. He pushed him off with great strength, sending him flying backward.

"Skull!" Joker rushed in a caught his friend just in time.

" **This place is a holy ground for our great King Kamoshida. It is preposterous for miscreants like yourselves to come waltzing in like this.** " The guard captain stated. " **You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida... with your lives!** "

"Execute them." The King demanded.

The thieves stood ready as the guard captain transfigured into a large Heavenly Punisher. A fierce Archangel, which flew above them armed with a large blade.

"Holy shit!" Skull exclaimed at the sight.

The Archangel then charged at the thieves, it's target the one with the green hood.

"AH!" He put his blade together just in time as it went for a stab. It's power sent Reaper flying into the wall with it.

"Reaper!" Joker yelled, fearful for his partner's life.

Once the dust cleared, they saw the Archangel straining the tip of its blade against Reaper's swords who was pinned against the wall, using all of his strength to keep the blade from piercing through him.

"I'm fine!" He yelled, struggling against this powerful shadow. "Hurry and get this thing off me!"

"Let's go!" Joker commanded as the Phantom Thieves armed themselves with their weapons and rushed to their companion's aid.

Archangel looked over its shoulder and saw them charging toward it. He brought his blade down, dragging Reaper with it to the ground, greatly hurting him. He then turned around and brought up his free hand. His hand shined and cast Makouha against his foes.

As they rushed toward him, the shadow was able to hit Panther, Mona, and Skull, sending them into the nearby pews. Joker was able to dodge it's attack and went for an attack of his own.

"Persona!" He called upon Arsene and charged forward only to be knocked aside by the Archangel's blade. Joker then rushed in, leaping into the air and sending his new dagger into the shadow.

The Archangel grunted in pain and swatted the thief away, sending Joker into nearby pews.

Reaper watched as the shadow defeated his comrades and couldn't just stand and do nothing.

"Ulysses." He called upon his Persona who rushed forward with its own twin blades. Even with Ulysses' speed, he wasn't able to land a hit on the shadow who sent a blade through the Persona, returning back to Reaper as a mask.

 _This thing is strong_. Joker got up and decided it was no or never to use his new Personas. _Here goes nothing_.

"Come, Jack O'Lantern!" He summoned forth a new Persona, one that the others recognized as it looked exactly like ones they had fought throughout the Palace.

"The hell?! That's one of those pumpkin bastards!" Skull exclaimed as he recovered.

"Another Persona?" Mona looked on in awe.

The new Persona rushed forward, casting Agi onto the Archangel, dealing light damage. The shadow swung it's sword at the pumpkin, trying to kill it but it just flew around its attacks.

"Now to end this." Joker finished. "Pixie!"

The Jack O'Lantern then disappeared and a Pixie took it's placed. It thrust her hands forward, casting Zio onto the shadow causing it great damage.

"Guys! Let's finish this!" Joker called.

"Right!" The spiky blonde rushed over to his friend's side and summoned his own Persona. "Captain Kidd!"

"Carmen!" Panther joined.

"Zorro!" Mona as well.

The thieves summoned forth their Personas, giving everything they got to defeat it. Once they finished, the Archangel fell the ground.

"Cmon everyone! **All-Out Attack!** " Joker commanded. The others recovered and rushed forward, attacking the shadow in every direction. Once they were done, the Archangel stood defeated.

"We did it!" Panther cheered.

"Hell yeah!" Skull pumped his fist.

"I knew we would win!" Mona said.

Reaper let out a sigh of relief as he watched his teammates take down the shadow, glad the fight was over.

Joker then turned to King Kamoshida who stood by his shadow, smirking at the bastard.

"Was that all you got, you trapezoid chined loser?" He mocked.

He didn't look like he had lost. Actually, he just shook his head, letting out a sigh and returned with a smirk of his own.

"You guys really are a pathetic bunch if you thought you could beat me so easily." The King smugly said.

They turned around and watched as the Archangel stood tall, flying above them and shrugging off every bit of damage that was done to it.

"What?" Panther stepped back, wondering how it was still alive.

"What the hell?! Why isn't it dead?!" Skull exclaimed.

"I may have had my security upgraded just in case you rotten thieves showed up again. Can't have garbage running around my castle anymore." He laughed at their hopelessness.

"We're not done yet! Cmon guys!" Joker commanded and each of them summoned forth their Personas, using every bit of power onto the Archangel. They were able to beat it down but it's used all of its strength to swing it's blade, cutting down the Personas and then used Makouha to defeat them.

They were each at their limit, tired out from the use of their Personas and badly hurt to the point where they couldn't fight anymore. Skull and Mona collapsed to the ground, utterly drained, Joker leaned up against a pew, badly hurt, and Panther was on her knees, unable to stand.

All Reaper could do was watch as their attempts to defeat Archangel were for naught. He tried to stand up, using his blades as support.

"This is what happens when you're stupid enough to defy your King." King Kamoshida laughed at their defeat. "Now, which one of you should I have killed first?"

"We're not... beaten yet," Joker said as he fell to one knee.

"Stubborn shit. You've been a pain in my ass since the day you showed up." The King sneered. "Kill him first, and make it slow."

The Archangel approached Joker, intending to end his life. With the last bit of strength, he called upon his power one last time.

"Ara Mitama." He summoned forth his Chariot Persona, casting Freila, causing heavy damage to the Archangel. However, Joker was left drained having used his last bit of strength.

"Was that the best you've got, criminal? Pathetic." The King said in disgust. "Finish him off."

"J-Joker." Panther reached her hand out. "N-No."

Getting back up from the attack, Archangel approached the fallen Joker. It raised its blade, ready to put an end to the thief who would dare defy his King.

"STOP!"

They all heard a scream. They looked to see Reaper was using his blade to stand himself back up. The Archangel then focused its attention on the him instead of Joker.

"How many times are you going to annoy me?" King Kamoshida sighed. "You're really going to die for this piece of trash? You would defy me for some worthless bitch? She never cared about you, you worthless shit!"

"S-Shut up. You don't know Shiho." Reaper replied.

"And you think you did? Then tell me, why did she come to me? You said you would protect her, didn't you? And yet, she came to me." The King mocked. "She betrayed you and you still think she's worth fighting for?"

Using his sword as a cane, he stood back up. Once back on his feet, he angrily answered. "Yes, she is!"

"What?" The King glared at him for his defiance.

"I-I know she was the one who truly broke our promise. I know that Shiho betrayed me. I should be furious and angry at her for not coming to me so I could protect her like I promised her I would." Reaper explained as he let out a sigh. "But I could never bring myself to be mad at her. She was the one thing I kept saying I didn't want, the one thing I didn't deserve, the one thing I was afraid of having. But, most of all, she was the one thing I needed."

He lifted his head, his hood falling back and he showed the King, his fallen teammates, and the Archangel, his smile, and his tears.

"She was my friend." He declared.

"Reaper." Joker looked at his partner who openly declared how much he cared about Shiho, about how much he valued her as a friend, and how she was worth fighting for.

"If I was even half the person she is, I'd be ok. But I'm not even close. I'm... I'm a horrible person." He sadly admitted the truth.

"Dude," Skull said at the boy's admittance to being a terrible person

"I don't deserve to have friends. I don't deserve the kindness Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann have shown me." He continued. "They're better off without me. Shiho is better off without me."

"Reaper stop!" Panther yelled out. "That's not true! Shiho is your friend! You just said so! She needs you too!"

"Don't throw your life away like this, Reaper!" Mona yelled through his pain.

"Reaper. You're one of us." Joker told him. "You always have been."

"It's Ok." Reaper smiled at his teammates. "I've done so much wrong. But right here, right now, I have the chance to make things right. I can save you guys. So, I'll say it once more." He then focused his attention on King Kamoshida, glaring right at him. "If you want to kill someone, I'm right here." He dropped his blade, holding his arms out. "Give it your best shot."

"Reaper. No." Joker reached out, unable to protect him.

"You're pathetic. I'll kill you just like you want." King Kamoshida pointed at the boy. "Finish him!"

With that order, Archangel charged at him, intending to take his life

 _So this is it. I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry Dad. I'm sorry, guys. And I'm sorry… Shiho_. He thought as he closed his eyes, accepting his fate. _In the end, I'm alone. I'll die as I lived._

 _Alone._

As Archangel charged at Reaper, aiming to finally take his life, he thrust his sword towards the boy as his teammates could do nothing but watch in horror.

...

...

" **NO!** "

But before their enemy's sword could take his life, a bright pillar of yellow light surrounded Reaper, protecting him and repelling the shadow's attack as it was thrown backward into the statue of its King. King Kamoshida watched as his guard captain was flung into the statue of himself, not expecting such an attack as he believed the boy to have been weakened.

"What the…!" Joker muttered in utter shock as he had no idea what had happened. That didn't look like one of Ulysses' powers so what could it be?

"Reaper!" Mona reached out his paw, fearing the worst as the strange pillar of light surrounded him.

"What the hell's happening?!" Skull exclaimed.

* * *

When Reaper opened his eyes, he found himself not in the chapel where he had been awaiting his death but instead found himself at the last place he expected to be while conscious.

He was back in Philemon's tower.

"What? How?" He was confused as to why he was back here. He looked around but the masked man himself was nowhere in sight. He checked himself and saw that he was still wearing his thief attire so this couldn't be a dream. So why was he here?

"Kei."

His eyes widened at the sound of that voice. He recognized who it belonged to but he didn't want to believe it. But, as he turned around and saw who it was that called out to him, he knew who it was.

"Y-You're…!" Reaper recognized her. Shiho Suzui, the girl who tried to kill herself a few days ago, the girl who's currently in the hospital, stood before him. Whatever this is, it doesn't look like any trick. So what was she doing here? How was she even here? More importantly, why were they here, at Philemon's tower.

"Fight back, Kei." She told him, calling him by his first name, the only other person he knew would do so.

"Shiho?" He replied, wondering if it was really her.

"You're not dying here." She said softly.

Her face was clean, free of the bruises Kamoshida had inflicted on her. There is no way this is the same Shiho Suzui he knew. It wasn't her, but… it was at the same time. He could feel it.

He fell to his knees, unable to meet her eyes.

"Shiho, I-I'm sorry." He apologized. "I-I just wanted to help you, I wanted to protect you, and I screwed up. Y-You called me your friend and I failed you. It's my fault."

"Nothing was your fault, Kei." She told him. "You kept your promise but I couldn't keep mine. I was the one who hurt you and I'm sorry."

"That's…"

"Even now, your choosing to keep it. You're enduring so much to avenge what happened to me." She giggled. "You really are a cool guy, you know that? You know, you could be popular if you were only a bit more friendly."

She gave him that smile, that same smile she gave him at the train station where they first met. That same smile she gave him at Sing Sing Karaoke. Even now, she still giving him that same exact smile. One that embodies gratitude and friendship.

Why?

"Why?" He asked. "Why are you smiling? How can… how can you still smile at me like that? After what you…" He clenched his fist as he grew angry with her. "What is wrong with you?! What the hell do you want from me?!"

"Kei…" She whispered as if to calm him.

"Why?! Why are you always thinking about everyone except yourself?!" He exclaimed as tears threatened to break through. This must be some sort of sick joke, for her to show up out of nowhere and smile at him like that. If he ever saw Philemon again, he would punch that mask off of him for doing this to him. "If you had just been less selfless, you wouldn't have gone through so much pain." He explained. "Why? Why do you do that?"

He had never met anyone like her, so altruistic and self-sacrificing, willing to hide the abuse Kamoshida inflicted on her to protect Ann and her teammates. Never has he met someone so irritating before. That stupid smile she gave him at the train station when he unintentionally gave her advice, the looks of curiosity she would give him whenever they were in class or that time he bumped into that rude student that was flirting with Ann, her mere presence alone was enough to dismantle the terrifying glare he had on his face when that student demanded an apology for bumping into him. The same smile she gave him when they made their promises, his promise to keep silent about the abuse and her promise for her to come to him if Kamoshida tried to hurt her again. It didn't stop there, she waited for him at the school gate and walked to class with him. When lunchtime came around, she asked to join him, to talk to him and get to know him better.

Shiho Suzui really is… not like anyone he's ever met.

And she proved that still when her determined eyes refused to waver. She reached down, cupped his face with both hands and forced him to make eye contact with her, refusing to let him look away.

"You know why." She told him, causing him to look up at her again. "You know exactly why."

"W-What?" He questioned, not having any idea what she was talking about.

"You would know better than me after all?" She asked. "Did you forget?

What was she talking about? He knew why she endured the abuse? The suffering? Everything? How would he know why she went through so much pain? He thought it over and still couldn't figure it out. She was wrong, he didn't know. After all, he never endured…

"A-Ah!" Just then his eyes widened in realization. As he thought about it more, he recalled his memory of his first trip to the Metaverse. When Kamoshida had his guards beat him senseless as punishment for trespassing into his castle. When Ren, Ryuji, and Morgana showed up and how worried he was that they were going to die.

He thought of those words, the words that he said to Kamoshida and his minions before Ulysses called to him.

 _If you want to kill someone? KILL ME!_

"That…" He looked away, trying to think of an excuse as to why he said that to King Kamoshida but she wouldn't let him. She kept his face in her hands and made him look at her, eye-to-eye. She wasn't going to let him deny it any longer.

"You were willing to sacrifice your own life for them because you wanted to protect them, just as you wanted to protect me. Even now, you're doing it. You're protecting them with your life and you know why." She informed him of his true feelings and refused to let him face away from them. "It's because they're your friends and they're precious to you. And…

"...when someone's precious to you, it's only natural you'd want to protect them. No matter what." He finished her sentence, that same sentence she gave him when he asked her why she was willing to go through so much for Ann's sake. That was her argument, an illogical one at that, but it was strong, strong enough that he couldn't find the words to refute it.

"See, you get it." She nodded. "It's okay to let others into your heart, you can't survive in this world without friends after all. I know it can be scary sometimes but even if you're afraid of losing them, use that fear to make you stronger. Use it to protect them, and if you can't, avenge them. That way, they'll always remain in your heart."

"Shiho…" He felt so moved by her words. Who would've thought that this girl, some weirdo who was talking to herself at the train station, the same girl who was in her class, the same girl who trusted him when she had every reason not to, could touch him with mere words?

"Now, it's about time you show me your cool side, Kei." She said as she released his face and backed away, clenching both of her fists in determination, ready to see Reaper fight for the others. "Don't worry, I'll be right here with you, cheering you on."

I…" Reaper looked down as he pondered her motivational words as he fought the urge to chuckle, the first time in two years that's ever felt such an urge. It was like she understood him from head to toe. It was… odd but not unwelcome. "I've never met anyone like you. So selfless and stubborn. It's… really annoying." He said but that only caused her to giggle. "It's annoying but… you're right. I… I do understand."

The reason behind why he was so willing to offer his own life in exchange for the others when push came to shove, the reason he wanted to protect Shiho. It was all so simple yet he foolishly eluded himself from the truth. But he couldn't run from it now.

"I understand completely." As he stood up, he was greeted with that smile of hers. "So, you don't have to worry anymore." He assured her. "I… I won't let your suffering…" He thrust his hand forward in front of her. "…go unavenged." And with that, she closed her eyes, still with that smile as a yellow light enveloped her. Soon, her entire body was covered in a bright light that later transfigured into something he didn't expect.

A mask.

* * *

Joker and the others watched as the pillar of light surrounding their fallen teammate was now starting to dissipate. After a few more minutes, the pillar vanished and there stood Reaper, his eyes closed and his hood covering his expression. They were relieved that their teammate was unharmed but was surprised to see that his strength had seemingly returned as he no longer looked injured or fatigued. Soon after, Reaper opened his eyes and looked toward King Kamoshida and Archangel, the latter having recovered from the mysterious attack. He slowly raised his hand and everyone saw what he was holding.

A green mask that resembled that the one Reaper was wearing right now.

"Reaper," Joker muttered as his eyes widened. "That's…"

Reaper crushed the mask in his hands, particles of light emitting from the crushed mask flew into his own, engulfing his mask into a yellow light. He then faced Kamoshida and Archangel with a scowl as he walked towards them slowly. Kamoshida stood behind his guardsman, fearful as he knew something was different about his enemy.

 _ **I am thou.**_

The others heard Reaper say those words, only they didn't belong to just him. It was a unison of two voices combined into one.

 _ **Thou art I.**_

 _That voice_. Joker could vaguely identify it. _It's Suzui-san's!_

 _ **Thou foolish bastard of lust who is in over his head.**_

He looked up and faced his two enemies, they could see his pupils colored red behind his mask as he greeted them with a glare.

 _ **Allow me to show you… the true meaning of hell!**_

As he finished, Reaper placed his hand on his mask, ready to rip it off and unleash his new power.

"Come… Hell Biker!"

As he ripped off his mask, the Persona that appeared behind him was not the one they were expecting. It came in the form of a skeleton in a black leather jacket and a red scarf riding a motorcycle whose wheels were made of fire.

It was a brand new Persona.

"N-No way." Panther said in shock.

"R-Reaper?" Mona wondered.

"You gotta be kidding me?!" Skull complained. "He gets two Personas as well?! That is so not fair!"

 _That Persona._ Joker thought it over. _I see. It's from her. From Suzui-san._ He looked over to where Reaper was, his newly acquired Persona stood ready to fight for him. _Kazuma, you're…_

"Hey, Kamoshida," Reaper called out to the cowardly king.

"W-What?!" He growled at the phantom thief.

"I'll give you two options. Either hand over the treasure now or scream in agony when I rip it from your hands." He gave the King his choices. "Either way," He slammed his fist into his open palm. "Your suffering will be unimaginable!"

"Tch." The King clicked his tongue in annoyance at this boy's defiance. "That's an easy one. Except I believe you're mistaken about which of us is gonna suffer. Just because you have a new guard dog changes nothing! Kill him!"

" **Of course my liege,** " Archangel spoke as his king left the scene. He pointed his blade at Reaper, believing that even with his new power, the results will be the same. " **New tricks will not save you, fiend!** "

"My teammates call me Reaper. Want to know why?" He picked up his blade and pulled out a pistol, firearm in his left hand, sword in the other. He stepped forward, facing the guard captain once again. This time, he wasn't going to let him win. "Actually, how about I give you a demonstration?" With those words, his new persona twisted the throttle of its motorcycle, readying itself to fight.

 _Kazuma_. Joker thought to himself. _…you really are like me._

"Now." Reaper gripped his blades as his blood red eyes glared at his target, or rather, his soon-to-be victim. "Let's get VIOLENT!"

Archangel, having enough of his word, rushed forward to attack the thief. Slamming his sword down, Reaper dodged right, firing his gun at his wings. The damage he was causing to his wings forced him to ground but it wasn't enough to stop him. The shadow went for a stab, but slid under the sword. Sliding under Archangel's legs, he shoved his own blade into the shadow's chest. He returned to his new Persona, then turned around to face the shadow once more, who had a sword sticking out of its chest.

"Hell Biker." He commanded. The Persona twisted the throttle of its motorcycle once more and took off, leaping into the air, and slamming its wheels onto the hilt of Reaper's sword that was pierced through its chest, driving the blade through the shadow. It fell onto the ground, landing on it's back while Hell Biker picked up the blade and returned to its master. Reaper collected the blade and then pulled out his other one.

The Archangel attempted to make a recovery like it did last time but Reaper wouldn't allow it.

"Burn off its wings." He commanded.

Hell Biker thrust his hand forward, setting the shadow's wings ablaze. It screamed in agony as its wings were torched.

"Pain is just stimuli. What you're feeling is agony. Despair." Reaper started. "Do you know what true despair is? You will know, soon enough."

" **W-What are you?! You're not human!** " The Archangel gasped for air from the agony that was inflicted upon him.

"You will be the first of many to understand." He crouched down, clenching his blades tight. "When you hurt the people I care about, you will get NO MERCY!"

He rushed forward, swords in each hand, charging toward the defeated shadow. Archangel could only watch in horror as the Persona-User used his two blades and cut right through it. The shadow fell to the ground, dissolving into nothing as it was destroyed entirely.

The other thieves watched in amazement, seeing their companion defeat the Archangel and protect them like he wanted to.

Reaper then turned around and watched as Hell Biker turned back into Ulysses who stood before him with his arms crossed.

"You knew?" He asked the Persona. "You always knew I was lying to myself?"

 _ **But of course. I am the Lord of Deception. A true master of subterfuge must first know his truths from his lies.**_

The Persona snapped his fingers, showcasing a new ability as it healed Reaper's teammates. Joker stood up fully, looking over himself to see his wounds now gone. So did the others.

 _ **I am thou.**_

"Thou art I." He whispered.

 _ **Now that you know who you are, who you really are, you can do whatever your heart desires. Don't you agree?**_

"Yes." He nodded, the Persona now turning back into his mask. He felt light-headed, his vision fading as he collapsed on the ground, passing out from exhaustion.

"Reaper!" Joker and the others rushed to their companion's aid. He checked his pulse, he was still alive but unconscious.

"He's alive." Moan sighed in relief.

"Thank god!" Skull said, relieved that he was all right. He looked around and saw that King Kamoshida was nowhere to be found. "Bastard got away again."

"Joker. How? What was...?" Panther was confused by the whole thing.

"I really don't know." He admitted. "We need to get him to a safe room. Cmon!"

Joker picked up his fallen partner as they rushed back to the chapel safe room to care for him.

 _You really are something else, Kazuma._ _Who would've known we would have the same power._ Joker thought and smiled. _Thank you for saving us._

* * *

He woke up in a daze, his vision still blurred. He wiped his eyes and found himself not in the castle, but rather, somewhere else.

"Sing-Sing Karaoke?" Kazuma questioned as he looked around and found himself in the same room of Sing-Sing Karaoke where he talked with Shiho, sitting on the couch.

He must be dreaming again. After all, the last thing he remembered was talking to his Persona, Ulysses. He looked at his clothes and found himself in his school uniform and not in his thief attire.

"You did it, Kei."

"Huh?" He looked across from him and saw Shiho there, smiling at him. "Shiho."

"You were so incredible, I knew you could do it." She told him. "You finally realized just how precious they were to you and because of that, you were able to save them."

"Yeah. I did." He thought over how he gained a new power, the same power as Ren, to save his teammates from Archangel. He gained that power because he finally understood how much he cared about them. "Shiho, there's so much I want to tell you, so much I want to say. But, can I just ask you one question?"

"Of course." She nodded.

"What does it mean to be a friend? To have a friendship?" He asked as he didn't know the answer. "Please tell me. I need to know."

"I can't answer that. That is a question only you can answer, Kei." She stated. "But I can say this. No matter what anyone says, you and I are friends."

"Friends." He muttered before he realized something. "That Persona. It came from you. Y-You were always with me."

"I'm always with you, Kei. No matter what, I'll always be cheering you on." She stood up and walked to the center of the room and then turned around to face him. "Now, it's time for you to return. Go back to them. To your friends."

"Wait!" Kazuma stood up and rushed up to her. "Please, let me finish what I have to say."

"Of course." She said.

"I... I can't ever thank you enough Shiho." He said, knowing words wouldn't be enough to express his full gratitude but he had to try. "I swear, I will make Kamoshida pay for what he did to you. And once he's gone and you wake up, I'll visit you. I promise."

"Promise?" She teasingly questioned, raising her pinky.

Kazuma simply interlocked her pinky with his, as he did with her before.

"It's a promise... between friends." He declared.

"All right then." She then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "I'm counting on you, Kei."

This time, he returned the hug, holding her close as if she was really there. Once they broke apart, she grabbed his hands, giving them a squeeze before letting go.

He felt something in his hand as she released him and as he looked down, he saw the blank card that Philemon gave him when they first met. He looked up and saw that Shiho was gone.

Looking back at the card, he heard the words Philemon said when he was gifted with this card.

 _ **That card is special. With it, carries the power to summon the selves within you. The Gods and the Demons you harbor.**_

"Wild... Card." He said as he knew that was what this card was. "Thank you." He raised the card into the air, ready to return back to reality.

The card lit up in a bright yellow light that surrounded the room, returning Kazuma back to his time and place.

* * *

"He's not waking up," Joker said.

They had arrived at the chapel safe room a little while ago, placing Reaper on the couch to let him rest. So far, he has been unresponsive.

"He's not injured, just exhausted," Mona stated. "Give him time. He'll wake up."

"Here's hoping." Skull hoped he would wake up but his mind was on other things. "Dude, he has more than one Persona too? First Joker and now him? Seriously, what the hell?!"

"None of this makes any sense." The cat said, unable to understand this.

"What do you mean, Mona?" Panther asked.

"Joker and Reaper shouldn't even be able to do something like this. How is it that they can use multiple Personas when we can't?" Mona wondered.

They all turned to Joker, thinking that he could shed some light on this mystery.

"Honestly, I don't know myself." He told them a half-truth, thinking it best to not tell them about the Velvet Room and the Wild Card as it would only bring about confusion. "I guess it's just something only we can do."

"Well, I'm not complaining. In fact, I think it's cool." Panther voiced her approval.

"For real?!" Skull continued to complain, clearly envious of their unique ability.

"Ugh." They heard a groan come from the couch and saw that their fallen teammate had regained consciousness. "Can you not be loud for like 2 seconds?"

"Reaper!" Joker gasped, happy that he was all right. "You're okay!"

"Okay is an understatement. I feel like death." He groaned, sitting up. "Are you guys all right?"

"Are we all right? Are you effin kiddin' me?!" Skull exclaimed. "Dude, you saved our lives!"

"We would be dead if it weren't for you," Panther told him.

"Really?" He wondered.

"Really, really." Joker nodded.

"Looks like you and Joker both have the same power. I always knew there was a reason you two worked so well together." Mona complimented.

"Yeah, together." He looked down and figured since they were alone and now in a safe room, it would be a good chance to finally tell them how he really feels. "Guys, I have something to tell you." Once he got their attention, he started. "Trust and friendship. Ever since I came to Tokyo, I've been really struggling with both of those. I've been using my past as an excuse to treat people unfairly and gave the world a cold shoulder. You guys didn't deserve that." He turned to Joker. "Ren, I've known you since day one. You've always stood by me even when I was curt with you. You didn't deserve that and I'm sorry." Once he was done, he turned to Skull. "Sakamoto. I mean, Ryuji. I called you out for keeping what Kamoshida did your leg a secret and that was completely uncalled for. It was clearly a personal issue and I couldn't even begin to understand what he put you through. I'm truly sorry." He then turned to Panther, the one he hurt the most out of everyone here. "Ann, I understand that you endured Kamoshida's harassment for the sake of protecting Shiho's place on the volleyball team. That wasn't cowardice, that was bravery. That day, when you told me to drop the investigation, I got angry and said things I shouldn't have said. I know I said it before but I am very sorry for what I said." Finally, he turned to Mona. "When I first met you, I heard you calling out to those shadows that were torturing me. You were trying to help and I haven't exactly been respectful to you, Morgana. You're a cool guy." And now, it was time to say his final piece. "I know I've been terrible, and I know I don't deserve it. But, if you guys can forgive me, will you..." He took a deep breath as his cheeks were red from the embarrassment. "Will you guys be my friends?!"

And with that, he was done. Now, all that could be done is to wait and accept whatever their judgement would be. Whether they would accept his offer of friendship or cease communication after Kamoshida was dealt with. He then felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked up and saw Joker giving him a warm friendly smile.

"What are you talking about, Kazuma?" He chuckled a little from the speech he gave. "We're already friends."

"What?" He said, confused as he didn't expect this.

"I mean, I've always considered you my friend. But, it's good that you feel the same." He continued. "I never hated you, Kazuma. I always thought you were a great guy. You always stood by me even when you had every chance to walk away and be like everyone else. But, you're not like everyone else. You're special."

"Ren." He whispered.

"I'll be real with you dude, you're kind of a jackass," Skull added with a smirk. "But you know what, I'm a jackass too so we both have that in common. You and me, we're both in the same class and if we're going to survive the wrath of Chouno, we should stick together, you know?"

"Truer words have never been spoken. That woman is the devil," He said which earned chuckles from them.

"I already forgave you for what happened between us, Kazuma. There's no need to keep beating yourself up over it." Panther told him. "And even if it was for a short while, you made Shiho happy. You earned my respect and my friendship."

"Ann." He knew she forgave him but he never knew she considered him a friend.

"You're a one of a kind guy, Brown-Hair. Actually, it's Kazuma, right?" Mona questioned. "I always knew there was something special about you and what happened today just proved it. You and Ren will be the trump cards that will lead us to victory."

"You see, Kazuma. You're one of us." Joker told him. "You always have been and you always will be."

"Guys." He was close to breaking into tears but what was overpowered by his annoyance. He groaned, leaning back on the couch. This whole time they thought of him as a friend and he went and gave a speech about how sorry he was for being a jerk. He was so embarrassed! "Are you kidding me?! You idiots!"

"And he's back again." Skull joked as they started to laugh.

"So I risked my life for nothing? I can't believe it." He grumbled.

"No. You risked your life to save your friends," Joker said in between giggles.

"Yeah well, I'm hurting right now and that's not really comforting." Reaper closed his eyes and let out an annoyed grunt.

"Well, I think it's time we call it a day. I'm exhausted and I don't think we can go on anymore." Joker suggested they cease their infiltration for today.

"Yeah, I'm tired as hell." Skull yawned.

"Same." Panther agreed.

"All right then. Let's head back." Mona said.

Reaper, still worn out from the fight, had trouble standing up. Joker then hooked the boy's arm around his neck and lifted him up, pulling out his phone for Quick Travel.

"You told me the other day you think you're being punished. You know what your punishment is Kazuma?" Joker brought up but his partner didn't know the answer. "You've become a better person, a stronger person. And so have I."

"Some punishment." He muttered.

"All right. Let's get out of here."

As Joker used the Quick Travel section of the app to return to the castle entrance, Reaper now finally understood where he got the inspiration for his latest song title. His desire to change his life and hopes that his life will change.

"Life will change. Right here, right now."

* * *

 **YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH! NOW THAT'S WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!**

 **Oh my lord, if that wasn't the coolest and most heartfelt moment you've ever seen, then you must have a distorted heart.**

 **As you can see, our friendly neighborhood Reaper has changed for the better thanks to Shiho's influence. Now, he wants to make up for his rudeness and be a better friend to the others.**

 **Lot's of Ren and Ann moments in this chapter too, hope you enjoyed that and some Kazuma and Shiho moments as well, hope you like that as well.**

 **I'm tired, I'm gonna go pass out.**

 **Til next time.**


	16. The Good Doctor

**NEW CHAPTER! AW HELLS YEAH!**

 **So, I'm going to confess. I totally burned myself out writing chapter 15. It was over 26,00 words, I went too damn far. After writing a chapter like that, I really needed a break from writing.**

 **But, I'm back at it again, here to bring you more Trickster Vs. Champion.**

 **Before we get started, what are your thoughts on how the anime is going? Because in my opinion, I was excited at first, now I'm kind of disappointed. It looks and feels rushed, it's hard to enjoy an anime like that.**

 **Also, I hope you're all excited for Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, with all your favorites from P3, P4, and P5! We also have the dancing games coming out December 4 with the original dub cast reprising their roles.**

 **All right, let's start with some shoutouts. First goes to a friend of mine named ScorchCC1262. A huge lover of Haru, he helped greatly in getting this chapter out to you guys. His content is on AO3, I'd highly recommend giving his stories a read.**

 **And now, without further ado, here's the 16th chapter**.

* * *

Once the group exited the Metaverse, they parted ways and decided to return home for the rest of the day, exhausted and worn out from their initial infiltration and fight with Archangel. For their first try infiltration as a team, Ren had to say it was very successful. No serious injuries, no complications with their Personas, and they managed to make some great progress in delving further into the castle. All in all, it was a successful first attempt.

However, Ren took note of Archangel's strength and remembered King Kamoshida's remark about how he had his security upgraded. He theorized that with each visit to the Palace, there would be stronger shadows waiting for them. But he wasn't worried, he knew that no matter what that bastard threw at them, they would overcome it. He was no match for the strength of their teamwork, especially since the team now has an added bonus.

Ren and Kazuma's new Personas.

 _To think, we have the same power_. Ren thought. It was definitely shocking to find out that Kazuma had the same power as he does, the power to summon more than one Persona.

The power of the Wild Card.

He then remembered Kazuma's words, how truly sorry he was for his past attitude towards the team and how he would like to become friends with them. All in all, Ren couldn't be more proud of his fellow transfer student, who he can now call a friend.

"Mmmmmh."

Just then, his thoughts were broken by a moan of pleasure. He looked up from across the booth to find Kazuma thoroughly enjoying his meal.

After the group parted ways, Ren opted to walk Kazuma home. The fight with Archangel as well as awakening his power of the Wild Card, he got the worst of it and looked like he was completely drained. However, upon hearing his stomach growl, Ren guessed his friend was hungry and so they decided to get something to eat.

They chose the Shibuya Diner.

Once they were seated, Kazuma ordered his food, ordering three buttermilk pancakes, two waffles, and five pieces of extra crispy bacon. Ren simply went for their hot coffee as Sojiro normally fixes his dinner. He had to admit, in the past few days he had seen sides of Kazuma he didn't expect to see given his initial impression of him. Maybe it was because he was the biggest mystery of the group. He doesn't talk about his past or his family for that matter and both appear to be touchy subjects.

Maybe with time, he'll confide in him. Ren was patient and he didn't want to force his friend to reveal anything he doesn't want to.

He had to admit, the look on Kazuma's face as he took a bite out of a piece of bacon was priceless. It was like he had forgotten that Ren was there.

"Kazuma." He interrupted the little moment Kazuma was having with his food as the boy in question opened his eyes to see Ren looking at him with a humorous grin on his face. "It's bacon."

"Y-Yeah, I know. Whatever." He frowned and looked away, his cheeks reddened a bit from embarrassment.

"How are you feeling? Is the medicine kicking in?" Ren asked, changing the subject. Before they returned to the real world, he gave Kazuma some of the medicine Tae gave him to see if that would help.

"Sort of, I still feel like crap." He answered.

"It's understandable." Morgana popped his head out from Ren's bag to join the conversation. "Exploring the Metaverse is taxing, that's probably why you're so worn out. Well, that and your new Persona."

"Makes sense," Ren said. "When I awoke to Ara Mitama, I felt like I got hit by a train or something."

"In any case, it's best if you rest and recuperate for the time being, Kazuma." The cat suggested. "We need everyone at their best, and with your new Persona, we're definitely going to need you and Ren at your strongest."

"Right." He looked down apologetically. "Sorry if I ruined the infiltration."

"Hey, don't apologize." Ren smiled. "The important thing is, we're alive. That's what matters most, that we come out of this successful and in one piece."

"Yeah, you're right." Kazuma agreed, finishing up his dish. "All right. I'm done. Let's pay and get out of here."

* * *

The two transfer students paid for their meals and left the diner. After a train ride back to Yongen-Jaya, Ren stayed by Kazuma side, walking alongside him on their way to Beauty Heights.

"You didn't have to walk me back to my place, you know." He told the probationer.

"Well, I wanted to make sure you got home safe and sound," Ren explained. "After all, what are friends for?"

 _Friends_. Kazuma repeated that word. He remembered the speech he gave to the others back in the safe room and he meant every word of it. It's almost hard to believe that he originally wanted nothing to do with the idea of making friends in this city. But ever since Shiho opened his eyes to the truth, he didn't want to run from it.

Still, the speech was a bit embarrassing as Kazuma wasn't the kind of person who likes to spill his feelings, especially in front of other people.

"Ren, about my little speech." He brought up, his cheek red from the memory.

"Huh? Oh, that." Ren remembered fondly before chuckling a little, much to the chagrin of his friend. "I have to say, it was kinda cheesy, giving a speech like that."

"S-Shut up." He groaned, looking away annoyingly.

"Still, what you said. I really appreciate it, Kazuma. I'm sure the others do as well." He said.

"I thought it was very thoughtful," Morgana stated from inside Ren's bag.

"When you asked me if I was happy not having any friends, deep down in the pit of my stomach I knew I wasn't happy. Not even a little. I was miserable." He admitted to him. "I... I really do want friends. You were right to question me about it."

"Such a curse, always being right. What can I say?" Ren shrugged, giggling at his own joke.

"Yeah, ha ha Ren." He rolled his eyes. "But honestly, maybe things would've been better if I had just listened to you from the start."

"It took a while, but at least now you know what you truly want." He said. "My father once told me 'A man must know who he is in order to be happy'. I agree with him 100%."

"You think I deserve to be happy?" Kazuma asked honestly.

"I don't see why not. I'm happy, despite my situation." Ren admitted which kinda shocked Kazuma a little. To see that even after everything that's happened to him and everything he's had to deal with, he was able to still retain some happiness. "I've made some good friends here. Ryuji, Ann, and you."

"What about me?!" Morgana exclaimed, popping his head out of Ren's bag.

"Especially you, Morgana." He gave a little pat on the cat's head, causing him to let out a purr. "And together, we're going to take down Kamoshida."

"Got that right." Kazuma nodded in agreement.

"We should probably let you rest, you must be tired." The cat suggested before an idea popped into his head. "Wait! Kazuma, can I spend the night with you for today?"

"Huh?" The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I wanna see who has the better room. You or Ren." He answered.

"That's why?" Kazuma rolled his eyes. "The answer's no Morgana. Besides, I'd need Tori's permission."

"Tori?" Ren wondered who he was referring to.

"My guardian." He informed him.

"Don't worry, what your guardian doesn't know won't hurt her." The cat was ignoring the no pets rule and appeared deadset on wanting to spend the night with Kazuma. "Cmon, please?"

He knew he should refuse once more. After all, he would likely get into trouble if he was caught without Tori's permission. But, as he thought about, Morgana was very good at hiding himself. When they first met the cat in the real world, he was able to sneak past Shujin's security very well. Plus, if it was just one night, then it wouldn't be a problem and since Morgana was now officially his friend, maybe it would be good to hang out with him.

 _After all, that's what friends do, right? They hang out_. Kazuma asked that question in his thoughts as he made his decision.

"Only if it's all right with Ren." He gave his answer, looking at the probationer for confirmation or denial.

"Sure, I don't mind." He nodded, opening up his bag and letting Morgana out.

"Sweet!" The cat jumped out of the bag and waited for Kazuma to open his bag, once he did, he leaped into it. "All right, let's see if there's any beauty in Beauty Heights."

The two rolled their eyes over that little statement Morgana made.

"I'll give him back whenever I see you tomorrow," Kazuma told him.

"Have a good night, you two." Ren waved goodbye as he departed for the coffee shop.

As he watched Ren Amamiya, his friend, walk away after waving him goodbye, he let out a sigh of relief. While he was still embarrassed about the speech he gave to the others, he was grateful that the others not only held no ill will toward him, they saw him as a friend.

 _I have friends_. It was so odd. He kept saying that's not what he wanted, that he didn't need friends. But that was just a lie, a lie that Shiho Suzui tore apart and showed him the truth. Now that he has these friendships, he promised right then and there to protect them as if his life depended on it.

"You spacing out, Kazuma?" Morgana asked curiously.

"S-Sorry." He apologized. "Shall we?"

"Lead on, Reaper." The cat stated as his temporary caretaker entered Beauty Heights.

As he entered the apartment building, he spotted Tori sitting behind the front desk, reading one of her books. He tensed at the sight of her, sneaking Morgana in just became a lot more difficult. He had hoped she would be in her room but apparently, that hope has vanished. But it wasn't game over yet. He opted to keep calm and hope he could sneak Morgana past her. As long as the cat doesn't make any noises, there shouldn't be any problems.

"Don't make a sound." He whispered to the cat. He could feel him shuffle in his bag, acknowledging his request. He took a deep breath and approached her desk. "Hey, Tori."

"Huh?" She heard someone call her name, looking up from her book to see that Kazuma had returned home. "Kazzy-kun! You're back."

"Pfft!" A giggle came from within his school bag

Morgana chuckled from within the bag upon hearing his temporary caretaker's nickname. Moving closer, he peeked through the bag so he could get a good look at who Kazuma's guardian was and what she looked like. Once he saw her, his eyes widened. She wasn't as beautiful as Ann was but the cat found Kazuma's guardian to be very pretty.

Kazuma lightly hit his bag as he could hear the cat making groaning noise from within his bag, signaling him to shut up. He tried his best to keep calm as Tori got up from her chair and walked around her desk to greet him properly.

"Did you have a good day at school?" She asked as she walked up to him.

"It was all right. Just an average da-" He was cut off as she moved in to give him a hug, wrapping her arms around him.

Despite his nervousness at the possibility of being caught with a cat in his bag, he returned her hug, wrapping his arms around her. Ever since he told Tori how sorry he was for being so distant, she made it a point to give Kazuma hugs whenever he left for school and whenever he got home. While their relationship had never been negative, he felt that it's gotten better since that day.

"You know, you've been coming home a lot later than usual." She noticed as they broke apart. "Spending time with friends?"

"Something like that." He replied.

"I knew it!" She clapped her hands and grinned widely. "You should invite them over one day. I'd like to meet them."

"Sure, I guess." He scratched his head, unsure if he really should as he knew how excitable Tori can be when meeting new people.

Just then, they heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Walking down the steps and into the lobby was a man with short, slicked back dirty blonde hair, dark eyes, glasses, and a gray business suit with a red tie. They recognized the man as Masu Okabe, Kazuma's neighbor who lived in the apartment across from him, room 104. Once he saw he wasn't alone, he greeted both Tori and Kazuma with a smile.

"Good evening." He greeted.

"Oh, Okabe-kun." The former nanny replied. "Working late again?"

"Unfortunately." He let out a pained sigh. "One of our rookie detectives got sick and since the case he's working on isn't going to wait for him, I'm stuck filling in."

"Sounds rough." She remarked. "Just don't overwork yourself, Ok?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He gave a friendly reply.

"Oh, by the way." She started as she gestured to Kazuma. "I'd like to introduce you to my ward. Kei..."

"Kazuma-san." He interrupted her with a greeting towards the young man. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise, Detective," Kazuma said.

"Oh, have you two already met?" Tori asked curiously, wondering how her ward and tenant knew each other.

"We met a few days ago while I was on my way out. I thought it'd be best if I introduced myself to my new neighbor." Okabe explained as he checked his watch and saw the time. "Anyway, I should probably get going. Have a good rest of your day Ichihara-san. Kazuma-san."

"Detective." Kazuma nodded, bidding farewell as the man took his leave.

"I'm glad to see you're getting along with your neighbors, Kazzy-kun. Especially Okabe-kun." Tori said appreciatively. "You're probably tired from a long day at school. Be sure to lock up, OK?"

"Yes, ma'am." He told her as they finished their conversation, moving past her and walking up the stairs to his apartment, letting out a heavy sigh as he successfully snuck Morgana past his guardian. "That was close."

"Way too close." The cat stated. "I didn't think you'd be able to talk your way out of there. You, my friend, are definitely Phantom Thief material, especially if you're living next door to a policeman."

"Who? Detective Okabe?" He questioned as Morgana referred to his neighbor. "He's harmless. I don't know him that well and he seems to be in and out most days."

Once they reached his door, Kazuma pulled out his keys and entered the apartment. After closing the door, Morgana was in the clear to hop out of his temporary caretaker's bag. He looked around and saw that Kazuma's apartment was clean, organized, and well furnished, a far cry from the attic of Leblanc. He hopped onto the couch and gave the boy a grin of approval.

"Nice place you have here, it's a lot cleaner than Ren's." The cat noted.

"Off the couch." He commanded, shooing him off of the couch. "I don't want Tori coming in here tomorrow morning to find your hair all over it."

"The ruler of this place can enter your apartment whenever she wants? She must be really powerful." Morgana said, stunned at the power of Tori Ichihara.

"She's my guardian but she's also the landlady." He informed her. "She fixes my breakfast every morning and occasionally wakes me up. So yes, she has a key."

"Such power." The cat winced dramatically as he came up with a plan to hide under Kazuma's bed the moment morning came to avoid a confrontation with the almighty landlady of Beauty Heights. "Anyway, I'm beat. How about we call it an early night?"

"Sure, I'm exhausted. My room is right there, go make yourself at home." He pointed toward his room, the door was open, allowing the cat entry.

As Morgana entered the room, he looked behind to see Kazuma in the kitchen, probably getting himself a glass of water. As he looked around the bedroom, just like the living room, it was much cleaner then Ren's room. However, much like Ren's room, it wasn't very decorative. No posters or anything, it actually looked plain if he was being honest, the only thing noteworthy was a strangely shaped case in the corner by the window. He looked the dresser next to the bed to find a lone picture of what appeared to be Kazuma along with two individuals standing right behind him, one man, and one woman.

They appeared to be at some amusement park with Kazuma smiling happily in the picture which was shocking to Morgana as he's never seen the boy smile.

"Hey." The cat turned around and saw Kazuma with a cup of water in his hand and a bowl of milk in the other. "I figured you were thirsty after today." He said, putting the bowl down on the floor.

"Now that's what I call great service. Thanks, Kazuma." The cat said in gratitude as he began drinking the milk provided for him.

"Just trying to be a good house guest." He said as he took a sip of his water and placed it on the dresser.

"By the way, who are those people in the picture?" Morgana questioned.

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked toward the photo the cat was looking at. He tensed at the sight and immediately chose to flip the picture down so it wasn't visible. "Long story, one I'd rather not talk about."

"Touchy." The cat stated, noticing the change in his expression after bringing up the man and woman in the photo. After he was done with the milk, Kazuma picked it up and went into the kitchen, placing it in the sink. Afterward, he changed into his pajamas and got ready for bed.

"Here." Kazuma adjusted the second pillow he had on his bed and then picked up Morgana, placing the cat on the pillow.

"So comfy." The cat purred as he adjusted himself to get better situated for sleep. Once that was taken care of, Kazuma entered his bed, laying his head down on his own pillow. "Hey, Kazuma. I wanted to ask you."

"Hmm?" He looked towards his feline guest as it appeared he had questions for him.

"How is it that you and Ren can use multiple Personas?" The cat asked, intrigued by their special power of the Wild Card. "Do you know?"

"Well..." He knew. At least, he knew how he acquired the ability to wield more than one Persona. A gift from the mysterious masked man who would visit him during slumber. He could tell the cat the circumstance behind acquiring the power and his meetings with the mysterious Philemon but he wasn't sure if he should. Plus, he may not believe him. Not only that, but he wanted to find out more about the masked man before divulging information about him.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know why I have this power, nor do I know why Ren has it too."

"It's so strange. This shouldn't even be possible." Morgana replied.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona." The cat continued. "It doesn't make any sense why you and Ren can have more."

As Kazuma thought about it some more, he had a theory about how he was able to obtain Hell Biker. When he spoke with Shiho during his state of unconsciousness, he knew that the Persona came from her. His connection with her is what gave birth to his new power.

A Persona of the Death Arcana, a representation of the bond between Kei Kazuma and Shiho Suzui.

 _Is this what Philemon was trying to tell me?_ He thought, wondering if he and Ren would gain more Personas in the coming days. If so, it could prove to be a useful ability in the fight against Kamoshida. _I should talk to Ren about this sometime. He might know more._

"Well, wherever it came from, It will definitely be of great help to us," Morgana said. "I always knew there was something special about you both, this power of yours just proves it. However, Ren has more Personas than you so you better catch up if you don't want to fall behind."

"I'll do my best." Kazuma nodded as that's all he could do at the moment given his limited knowledge on how the Wild Card works.

"But don't worry, I won't let you do all the work. What kind of mentor would I be if I did that?" The cat stated. "For every Persona you and Ren acquire, I'll do my best to keep track of your strengths and weaknesses. That way, you won't have to worry about overexerting yourselves. Sound good?"

"That will probably help us out in the long run. Thanks, Morgana." He thanked his feline house guest.

"I have high hopes for the two of you. Don't let me down Ok?" Morgana warned.

Kazuma nodded while rolling his eyes at the same time. He had to admit, as annoying as the cat may be, he was greatly enjoying hanging out with Morgana and vowed to stay true to the friendship he's formed with him and the others.

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast established a new bond.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **From the self-suffused with divine love to the self-capable of demonic cruelty.**_

 _ **A new self has been born.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Thou hast given birth to the Arcana of Magician that shall grant thee new power.**_

...

 _Got it_. He accepted the voice now knowing what it meant. That a bond had forged between him and Morgana.

"By the way Kazuma. I wanted to ask you." The cat brought up. "What do you think of Ren and Lady Ann?"

"Ren and Ann?" He raised an eyebrow, a little confused by the question. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you think they're close?" Morgana questioned.

He did notice the closeness between Ren Amamiya and Ann Takamaki. Despite having known each other for a few days, the two have formed a really strong friendship. He remembered how mad Ren got when he assume Ann would be a liability in their fight against Kamoshida, going so far as to push him up against vending machines with such passion that even scared Ryuji. He comforted her when they found that secret room full of pictures of Shiho, shielding her from the horrible sight.

In a way, Ren's relationship with Ann somewhat mirrored his relationship with Shiho.

"I suppose they are." He answered which seemed to make the cat a little on edge. "What's the problem?"

"Well..." Suddenly, the cat shook his head and gave a grin. "Nah, it's nothing. They're just friends after all."

"Uh huh." Kazuma didn't seem convinced by that response. If he had to guess, the cat developed some weird crush on Ann. That dumb nickname was proof of it. Deciding to stay out of it, he turned off his light and went to sleep. "Goodnight Morgana."

"Goodnight... Kazzy-kun." The cat snickered, figuring he would end the night with some humor.

Immediately, the boy got up from his bed, turn the light back on, and glared at the cat with a threatening gaze.

"Never again. And not a word to the others." He threatened.

"Touchy." The cat chuckled as he went to sleep. "My lips are sealed."

Letting out an annoyed sigh, he turned the light back off and passed out on his bed. In the morning, he would make sure Morgana remained hidden long enough to eat breakfast and leave for school so he could give him back to Ren.

After everything that happened today, Kazuma felt as if he would actually be able to get some sleep today. Free of mysterious headaches and nightmares.

And he was happier for it.

* * *

 **4/23 - Saturday.**

Per Morgana's request, the group decided to take a few days off from going to the castle in order to recuperate from their first infiltration. The board meeting wasn't until May 2nd which meant that they had plenty of time, as long as they secure an infiltration route prior to the deadline.

Even as days passed, the group still felt tired and sluggish. Morgana explained that the fighting in the castle is extremely taxing and given how much progress they've made, it will take some time for them to fully recover. Kazuma got the worst of it due to his awakening to the Wild Card so he was recovering a lot more slowly than the others. Thankfully, he had been taking some of Tae's medicine which has helped him get through the day without much trouble.

With classes over, Ren got out of his chair and left the classroom, biding Ann farewell as she left to visit Shiho in the hospital. Despite the rumors of his impending expulsion as well as the rumors about Kazuma supposedly bullying Shiho, nothing had really changed. Students still whispered about the two, but no one bothered them.

As he thought about how he was going to spend the day, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw it was a text from Ryuji.

 **Ryuji: Hey man. You good?**

 **Ren: So far so good. What's up?**

 **Ryuji: Not much. It's just, running around in that Palace made me realize something.**

 **Ren: What did you realize?**

 **Ryuji: I ain't moving well at all! My body's way outta whack! I gotta start training again. Practice is real important, y'know. So, I'm gonna start again, as of today! You wanna join in?**

 **Ren: I suppose a little exercise wouldn't hurt. We have been taking it easy the last few days. Do you want to ask Kazuma if he wants to join too?**

 **Ryuji: I was going to but the guy still looks like shit. Looks like it'll just be you and me, man.**

 **Ren: All right. I'm down for a little workout.**

 **Ryuji: Sick. Let's sweat it out behind the gym. Go change into some training gear and get your ass over here.**

 **Ren: Aye Aye Cap'n. XD**

 **Ryuji: You really can't help yourself, can you?**

 **Ren: Nope. See you in a minute.**

Deciding the hang with Ryuji for the day, he placed his phone back into his pocket and departed. Making his way downstairs, he rounded the corner and headed toward the men's locker room to change into his gym uniform. As he walked down the halls, he caught sight of a girl carrying a mountain of papers. She passed by him without noticing his presence and was able to get a better look at her. A third-year with brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matches her hair color and her eyes were reddish-brown. Unlike other students, she didn't wear the blazer. Instead, she wore a black halter vest over a long sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck, the regulation black and red pleated plaid skirt, and black-brown ankle boots.

With the number of papers she was carrying, Ren predicted the worse would happen if she ran into someone. And as soon as she approached the stairs and collided with another student, his prediction came true.

"What the...!" She yelped as the papers she was carrying flew out of her hands as a result of bumping into another student. The student she bumped into didn't appear apologetic, rather he found it a bit amusing.

"Sorry, Prez. Didn't mean to bump into you like that." He said as he walked past her.

 _Prez?_ Ren heard the title as the student began walking away, not even bothering to help her pick up the papers.

"Where do you think you're going, Takanashi-kun?" She glared as he headed toward the exit. "Get back here and..."

"Sorry, Prez! Gotta jet! Later!" He waved as he left the school, leaving her to pick up the mess he caused.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, she started stacking the papers again. Ren sympathized as he himself was a bit annoyed by what he witnessed. That guy rudely bumps into a girl and can't even bother to take a few minutes out of his day to stack a few papers.

"What's the hold-up?" Morgana asked from within his bag. "Aren't you going to hang out with Ryuji?"

"In a minute." He said as he approached the girl. He wasn't in any hurry and he didn't want to leave her carrying papers all by herself. As he approached her, he got down and started stacking papers which caught her attention. "It was rude of that guy to bump into you like that? Want some help?"

"Huh?" She questioned as a student she's never seen before started helping her stack papers and clean up the mess.

"I can't let you carry all this by yourself. I'll carry half." He said as he didn't really give her much choice, as she was now carrying half of the papers she was originally carrying while he carried the other half. "Is that all right?"

"That's..." She didn't know this guy was but since he was willing to help, she wasn't going to refuse. "Thank you."

After the mess was cleaned up, she turned and started walking up the stairs, with Ren following after her. As they walked up together, the probationer noticed a card hanging out of her bag. Words on the front said "Happy Birthday" on it, showing that it was a birthday card, one that you could find at a common store.

The girl lead Ren to the 3rd floor, the two approaching what appeared to be the school's student council room.

 _She's on the student council?_ Ren thought as they entered the room. _Wait, that guy called her "Prez". Is she...?_

Once inside, the girl placed her stack of papers onto the desk. Ren placed his stack next to hers and then turned to her.

"Well, I guess that's everything." Ren smiled.

"Yes, thank you for your help." She gave her thanks. "You may go now."

"All right then. Have a nice day." He gave a polite bow and then headed towards the door. But before he left, he turned to face her once more. "By the way, Happy Birthday."

"H-Huh?!" She exclaimed, stunned by his words. How did this boy know that today was her Birthday? "How did you..?!"

"That Birthday card." He pointed toward the card that was hanging out of her bag.

Once she saw what he was pointing out, she took the card and put it out, seeing that it was the Birthday Card given to her by 2-E's class representative.

"Well, have a good day." Ren gave another polite bow and then left the room to go hang out with Ryuji.

"You're quite the gentlemen, aren't you Ren?" Morgana noted from within the bag.

"Just trying to help." He said, leaving the 3rd floor. "Let's go, Ryuji's waiting for us."

* * *

She watched as the boy that was kind enough help her leave the student council room. He had forgotten to close the door when he left so as she approached the door, she could overhear a few students talking amongst themselves.

"What was the transfer student doing in the student council room?"

"You think he was harassing Nijima-senpai? Fucking criminal."

"Maybe she was chewing him out for something."

"Even though he's getting expelled? Damn, talk about rubbing salt in your wounds."

As the students left, her eyes widened at the word "criminal". She now understood who the boy was.

 _So that was 2-D's transfer student_. She had heard about Shujin's new transfer students, both of them were apparently notorious, with the one in 2-D being the worst. She had heard that he was expelled from his previous school after being arrested for assaulting someone. His presence at the school created a wide variety of gossip and rumors, ranging from criminal to ridiculousness.

However, the most recent rumor that she heard was that he was on the path to being expelled after apparently harassing Mr. Kamoshida.

As she was lost in her own thoughts, she remembered why she was carrying those papers to begin with. She decided to get straight to work as she had a lot of forms to fill out. Yet, she couldn't get the boy out of her head. If he was the dangerous criminal everyone says he is, why did he take time to help her?

She didn't get an answer. Instead, she simply remembered the words he said before he left.

 _By the way, Happy Birthday_.

"He seemed... nice."

* * *

Even though it's been a few days, Kazuma still felt dead. Actually, dead wasn't the correct word. The right word would be drained. Whatever it was, he's never felt this tired before. If it weren't for that medicine Ren gave him, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

 _I'm starting to regret having this power_. He groaned a bit as he made his way up to the roof of Shujin.

While he wasn't meeting with the others today as they went about their business, with Ann going to visit Shiho and Ren and Ryuji doing whatever, Kazuma decided to spend some peace and quiet on the rooftop. He could've asked Morgana if he wanted to hang out again as he knew the cat had a good time spending the night at his place. But, he wanted to be alone right now and have some "Kazuma" time.

As he walked up the stairs to the rooftop, he stopped the moment he spotted another student in his way, only a few steps ahead of him. A girl dressed in the Shujin gym uniform was holding two heavy bags of what appeared to be fertilizer. She was struggling, her arms and legs shaking as she tried to make it to the roof.

"Almost... there...!" She said as she took one more step.

 _I should probably do something or she's going to fall_. He believed as he could see that she doesn't have the strength to carry on.

"Need help?" He called out.

"Wha?!" She gasped, clearly startled by Kazuma's voice that she lost her balance and fell backward as the bags of fertilizer flew out of her hands. "AHH!"

 _Crap!_ Seeing her fall backward, he braced himself and held out his hands to catch her. She fell right into his arms, catching her and preventing her from getting hurt. Her eyes were clenched shut, likely from the fear of falling. She opened her eyes only to see that she had not fallen down the stairs but was caught by the student who caused her fall.

"A-Ah!" Her cheeks reddened from being carried bridal style in this boy's arms.

"You shouldn't be carrying heavy bags like that all by yourself. It's dangerous." He frowned, scolding her for her actions. "Speaking of bags, what's in those-"

"L-Look out!" She pointed toward one of the bags of fertilizer that didn't land properly and was now tumbling down the stairs, heading toward them. Seeing the impending danger, he put the girl down and placed her against the wall, taking the blow in her stead.

"GAH!" Kazuma yelped in pain as getting hit by a heavy bag of fertilizer cause him to tumble down the stairs, causing the girl he had rescued to gasp from witnessing his fall.

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed after seeing the boy fall down the stairs. Luckily, he was able to stop himself from by grabbing onto a railing but the loud groan that escaped his mouth told him he was in pain. She immediately walked down the stairs to check up on him. "Are you OK?!"

"Well, I'm not dead." He replied as he used his grip on the railing to pull himself back up. "I'm fine."

"B-But you're bleeding!" She pointed toward his forehead.

"Huh?" He then reached up to touch his forehead with his fingers. Feeling something wet, he brought his hand down to see blood on his fingers. "Must've been from the fall."

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized as this was entirely her fault. She looked toward the door to the roof and saw a First-Aid kit hanging on the wall. How convenient. "Let's get to the roof."

While he had no reason to trust this girl given that he just met her, he'd rather not leave the school with blood dripping down his head. The idiots that go here may get the wrong idea. Getting back up on his feet, he followed the girl up the stairs to the rooftop, watching as she took the First-Aid kit off the wall. Kazuma sat down onto the desk, letting the girl treat his wound.

"It's not deep. Just a small cut." She said as she brushed his hair to the side, taking a closer look at the wound. Opening the kid, she was glad it had just what she needed. She went about cleaning the wound before applying disinfectant so it wouldn't get infected. After which, she applied a band-aid to the wound and let his hair down. "There, I've treated your cut as best I could. Again, I'm so sorry."

"It's whatever." He brushed off her apology, not really mad at her for what happened. "What about you? Are you hurt?"

"I-I'm fine." She assured him. "It was my fault. I should've just carried it one at a time, or at least have someone help me."

"What were you carrying exactly?" He asked, wondering just what was in those bags.

"Uh. It was... fertilizer." She answered. While it was none of his business, she felt it right to answer his question given what had happened.

"Fertilizer?" He asked before looking behind him to see some flowers planted. "Are you part of some Gardening Club?"

"Something like that." She nodded, his question made her curious. "Um, would you happen to be interested in gardening?"

"Uh." That was a question he didn't know how to answer. Gardening wasn't an interest or hobby of his. But, it does have a place in his memories. "I guess. My Mother had her own garden as she liked to grow her own fruits and vegetables. I would occasionally help out." He thought of fondly before stopping himself from indulging personal information to this girl as she was a complete stranger to him. Although, his answer made her smile.

"Really? Well, in that case..." She said, turning to the door leading down the stairs, remembering that she left the bags of fertilizer on the steps. "I know it's too much to ask. But, if you don't mind..."

"Sure. Might as well." He got up from the desk and walked down the stairs to collect the fertilizer from the staircase. Kazuma collected the bags, placing them near the flower bed. "Done."

"Boys sure are strong. Thank you." She said in gratitude, giving a polite bow which kind of made him uncomfortable, especially with her praising his strength.

"I-It was nothing. Just paying you back for patching me up. That's all." He huffed a little, looking away.

"Hmm. You're a Second Year aren't you?" She asked. "That makes me just a tad older."

"Oh?" He turned back, looking at her with a questionable look. "You're a Third Year?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded before realizing that they've been talking all this time and they don't even know each other. "I'm Haru Okumura. Class 3-B."

"Haru... Okumura...?" He repeated the name as it sounded oddly familiar. He shrugged it off, seeing as how she introduced herself, he should do the same. "Kei Kazuma. Class 2-E."

"Kei Kazuma?" Once he introduced himself, her eyes widened a bit as she realized who he was. "Oh! You're one of the transfer students, right? Like Ren-kun?"

"You know Ren?" He asked curiously.

"About a week ago. He came up to see the flowers with his friend, that girl with the blonde hair." She said in reference to Ann.

 _Nice story Ren_. He thought, knowing full well used that as a cover for their Phantom Thieves meeting.

"Wait, you said you were in class 2-E?" She asked and he nodded. "So... you were the one who was classmates with Suzui-san?"

He winced at the mention of her name, especially given that they were talking about her on the very rooftop where she attempted suicide. He looked away, refusing to make eye contact with Haru.

"Yeah." He said, hiding his pained expression.

"Well then. Um. Kazuma-kun?" She didn't know if she should say this. "I was wondering if you know what people have been saying about you." She brought up, referring to the rumors about him and Shiho.

"Which ones? That I'm dating Shiho or that I bullied her?" He questioned harshly, glaring at her for bringing that up. "Neither of those are true."

His glare combined with the venom that came with his words made her shiver a bit. She regretted her words as she could tell it caused him pain. That wasn't her intention, rather, she was simply concerned with how he was dealing with the rumors. She knew people were making up tall tales about Ren, but people are saying that Kazuma was bullying the girl who tried to take her own life. This was much worse.

"Have people been bothering you?" She asked him, not letting his venomous state deter her.

"N-No." He shook his head, trying not to come off as rude to this girl. After all, she didn't do anything wrong. "Everyone's scared of me so they just ignore me."

In a way, Haru could understand why. His glare was terrifying, almost like an anaconda. But, she felt like there was more to him then meets the eye, that there was more to Kei Kazuma besides his terrifying glare. When she brought up Suzui, there was a certain pain that she could see in his eyes. If he was truly as bad as the rumors say, if he truly did bully Shiho Suzui into attempting suicide, he wouldn't be able to feel that pain.

"I should go. After all, I'm not even allowed up here." He got off the desk, figuring he scared her by getting defensive. "It was nice talking to you." He finished as he headed for the door.

"Wait, Kazuma-kun." Haru stopped him moments before he reached for the doorknob. "Since you're here, would you like to plant some seeds with me?"

"Huh?" He was a bit confused by her offer when he turned around and saw a reassuring smile.

"Well, It's just me up here and I could use the help. If it's all right with you." She explained.

While he could just go home and relax the rest of the day, he felt like he shouldn't. After all, Haru was going out of her way to invite him to hang out with her more. He figured this was the least he could do.

"Okay." He agreed to her request, walking back over to her.

"Thank you very much." She said graciously, handing him a few seeds before turning to the flower beds. "Oh, and Kazuma-kun?"

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering what else she had to say.

"I'm not scared of you." She smiled as she got to work.

Kazuma did his best to fight against the smile forming on his face. He went to work as well, using his own knowledge on gardening during his time with his Mother to plant the seeds properly.

While they had just met, he was glad that Haru wasn't like everyone else. She wasn't an idiot who believed in stupid rumors nor did she seem to be a coward who would gossip about someone behind their backs.

It was all so strange to him. He never knew he could be this civil, especially with someone he just met. While he didn't consider Haru a friend given that he doesn't know her very well, she's definitely someone he wouldn't mind being friends with.

And that's what confused him.

 _What does it mean to be a friend to someone? What defines friendship?_ He wondered.

Maybe with time, he'll find the answer.

* * *

"Man, this place brings back memories," Ryuji said with a bit of nostalgia.

Ren arrived shortly after changing into his gym uniform. Despite being a little late due to helping that girl, Ryuji didn't seem to care or notice. The spiky blonde lead him to a spot behind the gym. With no one else in sight, their privacy was assured and they would be able to train in peace.

"You often used this spot to exercise?" The probationer asked curiously.

"Damn right. This is my secret training spot." He said proudly before correcting himself. "Er... it was. Back when I was on the track team."

"Right." Ren nodded. He understood that his expulsion from the track team remained a sore subject with him so he decided to talk about his reason for bringing him out here. "So, why the sudden interest in exercising again, besides wanting to get back in shape?"

"Well... I've been thinkin' about tryin' to run again." Ryuji stated. "Fightin' in that other world was a total shock. I couldn't move like I used to. It just felt... lame."

He had a point. While Ren didn't consider himself a professional runner, he knew he could be faster. Plus, they needed to be at their best if they were going to steal the treasure. Some exercise could do them some good.

"So I started thinkin', maybe I need to build up my muscles again." The spiky blonde smiled determinately. "Anything's gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Maybe then I'll be able to help out a little more."

"I admire your enthusiasm Ryuji," Ren said approvingly, feeling himself getting fired up as well. "All right then, let's get this party started."

"Awesome!" Ryuji exclaimed, hitting his open palm with his fist. "All right, I'm gonna do some knee lift sprints. You're stuck with the normal ones!"

"Bring it on! It's showtime!" Ren said as he got a head start.

"Not fair! Headstart!" The spiky blonde complained and then sprinted after his friend.

The two friends did some sprints around the school. Ryuji, being more used to running, did it more intensely. Ren could see why he was the star of the track team. Even with his bad leg, he was still pretty fast.

After a while, the two made it back to their spot, both of them worked up a sweat, breathing heavily from the intense run. After catching their breath, Ryuji appeared glum, as if he was unsatisfied with their workout.

"Damn, my legs're all tight." He remarked, feeling like he didn't give his best.

"Well, if anything, today was a good start," Ren said in an attempt to cheer up his friend.

"Yeah..." He said before turning to face the probationer. "Before Kamoshida came along, the track team was the biggest thing this school had goin' for it. But it all changed after he got out coach fired and took over as the sub. Right from the very start, that bastard was tryin' to get rid of us."

"Sounds like he put you and your team through hell." He remarked.

"You have no idea. He'd give us crazy workouts, then when we couldn't do 'em, he'd add even more on top of that. Day after day was nothing but that bullshit." He crossed his arms and sighed. "He was goin' after me especially."

"Because you were the track team's star?" Ren asked but Ryuji just shook his head in denial.

"No. It's cause the asshole knew. He knew I was the kinda guy who'd fight back." He gritted his teeth, trying to repress anger and bad memories. "If my time dropped even a little, he'd cuss me out. Then on top of that, he brought up my parents."

"Your parents?" The probationer questioned the subject, wondering what it was that Kamoshida said about them.

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his head, deciding that he could trust Ren enough to tell him this. "Truth is, my mom's the only one I got. All my dad did when he was still around was drink. Sometimes he'd even beat me, or my mom."

"Ryuji..." He gasped a little, having no idea that he was a victim of parental abuse. It hurt to know that his own Father would do something so horrible to his own wife and child.

"I dunno how that bastard Kamoshida found out, but he told the whole goddamn team." He paused a bit, deciding to fully come clean. "And as you can guess, I lost it and... I punched him." He confessed. "It was like he wanted me to do it though. He called it an "act of violence," and shut the team down. Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like some kinda traitor."

"But it wasn't your fault," Ren told him. "Anyone would've reacted like that."

"No man, it was my fault." He shot back. While he found it touching that Ren was trying to console him, he felt like he didn't deserved it. "'Cause of me, they all lost their shot at the championship."

Ren stood there in silence with his friend. He now understood Ryuji's story completely. He's not a violent delinquent, not in the slightest. He was a good guy with a bright future that was ripped away thanks to an egotistical asshole. Now, all that remained was outcast, shunned and vilified by the school and the student body, all thanks to Kamoshida. In Ren's opinion, that bastard deserved that punch.

"Do you regret it?" He asked in order to break the silence.

"A little bit yes, and a little bit no." He said before realizing the silence caught him off guard and he answered without thinking. He crossed his arms and frowned. "C'mon don't ask me tough questions like that. I'm not very smart, y'know!"

"Actually, I think you're smarter than you look." The probationer complimented.

"Heh, I don't know about that, but thanks, man." Ryuji smiled at the compliment. "Anyways, it doesn't matter now. That's all in the past! I'm only thinkin' about the future now! That's what we're gonna do. Build the future! All we gotta do is get rid of that bastard!"

"That's right. Let's think positive." He nodded. When Ryuji held out his hand, Ren did the same, giving the spiky blonde a friendly high five.

"We should probably head home. School's gonna close soon." The spiky blonde said, deciding to call it a day. "By the way, you're actually a pretty good runner. Not as good as me though!"

"Is that a challenge?" Ren smirked. "If so, you're on!"

"Ha, you wish!" The two shared a laugh as they left their training spot to go change. "By the way, where is Morgana?"

"Locker." He told him.

"Locker?" Ryuji's eyes widened. "You put him your locker?!"

"I left the bag open." Ren shrugged. "He'll be fine."

After the two changed and left the school, they both felt as if their friendship had grown stronger, Ryuji feeling relieved at being able to tell Ren about his past and Ren feeling proud that Ryuji was willing to share.

* * *

 **4/24 - Sunday**

Ren was struggling with what to do for the day. Since there was no school, he needed to do something productive otherwise Sojiro might complain. He might even kick him out just for not doing anything today which caused him to chuckle.

"Ren, I'm bored," Morgana whined. "Cmon, let's do something."

"Guess we should find something to do." He noted. He could do a number of things. Work on crossword puzzles he took from the booths, with Sojiro's permission. He could text one of his friends. Or he could create more lockpicks.

While deep in thought, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was the group chat.

 **Ryuji: Yo guys! You all good?!**

 **Ann: A lot better today then I was yesterday.**

 **Ren: Same. Still sore from working out the other day.**

 **Ann: You were working out, Ren?**

 **Ren: Me and Ryuji did some sprints the other day.**

 **Ryuji: It was fun. Hey Kazuma, you should join us next time!**

There was a pause as Ren's fellow transfer student had yet to reply.

 **Ryuji: Kazuma?**

 **Ryuji: Yo! Earth to Kazuma!**

 **Ann: You think he's still asleep?**

 **Ren: Well it is Sunday.**

 **Ryuji: Seriously? Cmon, dude! Wake up!**

 **Kazuma: Is this seriously what I have to wake up to?**

 **Ren: Welcome back to the land of the living. How are you today, Kazuma?**

 **Kazuma: Dead.**

 **Ann: Still? You've been taking that medicine, right?**

 **Kazuma: I have. Though after a few hours, I feel like I'm gonna crash.**

 **Ryuji: Maybe the meds aren't strong enough. Hey, Ren. You think maybe that doctor can sell you some stronger stuff?**

That... was actually a good idea. He had been meaning to visit Tae again. That and the argument he overheard during his last visit concerned him a little. Whoever that man was, he was very aggressive and even outright demanded that she resign. But, what he said about her creating a drug that can grant unlimited power. It sounded too good to be true but if she has something similar to that, it could prove useful.

 **Ren: I'll see what I can do.**

 **Kazuma: If you guys want, you can go on without me.**

 **Ren: Out of the question. Not happening.**

 **Ann: That's right. We're all in this together.**

 **Kazuma: I can't help Shiho if you guys are waiting on me to get better.**

 **Ren: And we don't want to do this without you.**

 **Ryuji: Relax dude. The board meeting isn't until May 2nd. We got time.**

 **Ann: So you focus on getting better. Got it?**

 **Kazuma: Fine, whatever.**

 **Ren: All right guys. Talk to you later.**

And with that, the chat ended. Now with an idea of what to do for the day, He collected his bag and left the room, Morgana hopping into his bag as soon as he reaching his desk. Closing the door to his room, he walked down the steps to find Sojio overlooking an empty cafe.

"Hey, Sakura-san." He greeted.

"You going somewhere, kid?" The cafe owner asked.

"Just... meeting up with a friend." He lied as he made his way to the exit. "I'll be back later."

"Hey." The man called out, halting him in his tracks. "You're not getting involved with bad influences, are you?"

Ren rolled his eyes at the question. Normally, he would come up with witty remark after being asked a question like that but chose to reassure the cafe owner so he doesn't get suspicious.

"Not at all, sir." He adjusted his glasses as he left the cafe. "See you later Sakura-san."

Once out of the cafe, Morgana popped his head out of Ren's bag to converse with him.

"And here I thought you were going to put that acid tongue to use." The cat remarked.

"Meh, didn't feel like it." He shrugged as he headed to the clinic.

"So, you're really going to see that doctor again?" The cat wondered.

"You said you want to do something today. We're doing something." Ren told him as they arrived at the clinic. "Well, here goes nothing."

"I'm counting on you Joker." He finished as he retreated further into his bag.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered Tae's clinic. Once inside, he looked to see the good doctor looking over her notes. Just like before, she hasn't realized that he walked in.

Walking over to her, he spoke first to get her attention.

"Hello again, Doctor." He greeted warmly.

"Hmm?" She looked up and saw that the kid that visited her a week ago had returned. This time, she remembered him. "Ah, you again. You're that kid from Leblanc, right?"

"Ren Amamiya. Glad to see you remember me this time." He quipped.

"So, Ren Amamiya. What are you here for today?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

"I wanted to ask you about the medicine you sold me." He brought up. "It's... not that effective."

"Excuse me?" She did not take that well as her face contorted into a large frown.

"I think you made her mad," Morgana whispered.

"I mean it works really well. It's just, the effects don't last very long." Ren explained even though he was afraid he might've offended her.

"So, regular medicine won't do the trick?" She eyed him a little before letting out a sigh. Standing up, she placed her clipboard on her desk. "Fine. Just head into the examination room for now." She said, heading into the exam room.

 _I got a feeling this isn't going to be pleasant._ He thought as he took a deep breath and entered the examination room. Once inside, he placed his bag down. Tae gestured him to sit down. Once he did, she moved over to the door, leaning against it.

"So, tell me Amamiya. Did you really come here for medicine?" She questioned as she locked the door, preventing him from escaping. She then turned to him with a vile glare. "Or maybe you came here to talk about the 'rumored medicine'."

"Rumored medicine?" He tried his best to act confused but she wasn't buying it. "I don't..."

"Oh, are you going to say you didn't eavesdrop on me the last time you were here?" She crossed her arms looking down on him disappointingly. He had been caught. "It was obvious, actually. You call that hiding? Not that I care, of course."

"It wasn't intentional." He said.

"Uh huh. Sure." She said skeptically before sighing. "I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it. But tell me; why would a high schooler like yourself be so interested in that medicine? What are you up to, Amamiya?"

"Well..." He couldn't tell her the truth. He knew that. He tried to come up with a reason as to why he would need stronger medicine so as he ran through ideas in his head, he came up with one. "I'm graduating this year and I need the energy to focus on my studying. Problem is when I try too hard, I end up passing out."

"Oh? So it's for entrance exams." She seemed to have bought his lie as she relaxed a little bit, leaning against the door. "So you're looking to improve your concentration and reduce fatigue?"

"Pretty much." He nodded, a little relieved that she bought his excuse.

"Well, in that case..." She unlocked the door and gave him a look of disinterest. "Have an energy drink or something. I'm under no obligation to help you."

Ren didn't see that coming. Either she didn't buy his lie or was simply uninterested in helping him. That, or she's just very protective over her medicine.

"Besides, the medicine is really expensive. It's not something a high schooler can get his hands on. It costs almost as much as a car." She told him. "Got it? So how about you just go home?"

He wasn't going to go home, not until he got some stronger medicine for his friends. If this could help them turn the tides against Kamoshida, he had to risk it. He stood up, facing the Doctor with his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not trying to get you in trouble, Doctor." He began. "You're right, I did eavesdrop. I heard everything, about the rumored medicine and that guy telling you to resign."

"You heard that part?" She winced a bit upon being reminded of that.

"I did. I don't know if that medicine he talked about is real or just rumors and frankly I don't care. What I do know, is that your medicine works wonders." He pulled out the bottle of medicine he bought from her. "I've never felt so focused before in my life. If you have something that lasts just a little longer, I feel like it could really help me study. I'd even be willing to work for it, if I have to."

"Work? Like part-time help?" She had to admit, she was impressed by this kid's stubbornness, even though it was grating on her nerves. She could just tell him to get lost and never come back. But, maybe he shouldn't go. Not yet. Maybe he could help. With that in mind, she asked him a question. "Do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina?"

"Well..." He thought about his next choice of words before answering. "Aside from studying, I don't tire easily. Why?"

"I admit, I have been looking for a young person around your age to help me out. But I haven't been able to find one, even after putting an ad in the paper." She informed him. "What do you say? Are you up for it?"

"What would I be doing exactly?" He asked but that only caused her to frown.

"Do you want to do it or not?" She asked, glaring at him.

"I..." He muttered as he was a little concerned with what he would be doing. But, he needed that medicine. So, he agreed. "I'll do it."

"OK then." She smiled approvingly. "You'll be participating in clinical trials for my medicine. Hang on, I'll be right back."

 _Clinical trials?_ He thought as she walked past him and collected something from her desk. _What did I get myself into?_

He spun around and saw her pour some kind of fluid into a small plastic cup. Once finished, she handed him the cup. It had a red color to it, and it smelled pretty bad.

"Here you go." She said as he took the cup from her.

"Uh." He seemed a bit nervous about drinking this as he had no idea what this is.

"Worried about the side effects, huh? Well, you can relax." She smiled. "Rest assured, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what part of it killed you."

 _Kill me?!_ He exclaimed in his mind and she noticed his hesitation.

"What, aren't you going to take it? The exit's right there if you want to leave." She pointed to the door, daring him to give up.

He looked at the medicine. This was just a test. It wasn't going to kill him. Or... at least he hoped it won't kill him. Taking a deep breath, he raised the cup in the air.

"Cheers." He said before downing the cup in one go. It tasted awful and the aftertaste was just as bad. But, the fact that he actually consumed the medicine greatly shocked Tae.

"I can't believe you actually drank it." She said, stunned by what she witnessed.

"And I'm not dead." He sighed with relief. "Or maybe I am and this is hell."

"Cute." She rolled her eyes a bit at that remark. "Still, not bad for a high schooler."

"Other than the bitter taste, it was nothing I couldn't-" Suddenly, a wave of pain flowed through Ren's head and his vision started to diminish. He immediately got out of his chair and clutched his head as his vision started to fade. All of the energy he had ceased to be as he fell forward into unconsciousness.

"Uh!" She caught him just in time, preventing him from falling face first into the ground. "Welp. Game over, I guess."

 _ **A few hours later.**_

Ren's opened his eyes and found himself lying on the bed in the examination room. The light too bright, causing him to cover his eyes with his arm. He looked to the side and saw Tae scribbling down some notes on her clipboard. He looked around and saw that he was still in her clinic's examination room and not in a heavenly or hellish afterlife.

He stood up, regaining his senses.

"Good evening." She said, greeting him with a satisfied smile. "Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine until now?"

"Other than the cold hand of death reaching out for me, no." Ren joked a bit which caused her to roll her eyes. "Was I asleep the whole time?"

"You briefly woke from your coma but you were completely dazed during the entire examination. You eventually lost consciousness and fell back asleep." She said before giving him a disapproving look. "Are you out of your mind? Only an idiot would have drunk that."

"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures." He told her.

"Uh huh. By the way, the reason you lost consciousness was because of the taste." Tae said. "It produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices similar to surstromming."

"Well, it tasted better than my mom's veggie drinks, I'll tell you that much." He added which made the Doctor giggle.

"Oh, well. All that matters is that thanks to you I was able to get some good data." She said before setting aside her clipboard. "OK, it's my turn to make good on my part of the deal. That's why I waited until you woke up."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want the general public to know about my original medicines. So, you're strictly prohibited from disclosing what happens here to anyone." She warned him. "Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded.

"Then it's a deal." She nodded. "As long as you come here for it, I'll give you the medicine at a good price whenever you want. I may even add additional selections. For example." She handed him a new bottle of medicine. "This one's free of charge. Much more effective than the one you bought from me last time."

"Stronger medicine." He smiled. Now that he had it in his hand, drinking that crappy medicine was worth it.

"I look forward to your continued patronage." She added.

"All right then." He said, placing the medicine in his bag. "I look forward to working with you too, Tae."

While having to endure more of these "clinical trials" sounds a bit unnerving, he felt like he could trust Tae.

...

...

* * *

...

...

As he continued the story, he noticed Sae seemed to have something on her mind. He stopped so he could give her a chance to speak.

"Considering all the actions you've taken, you must've had someone with medical expertise." She brought up. "Who? And how did you treat your wounds?" When he didn't give her an answer, she continued. "It'll be easy to find out who if we look into this, you know!"

"Easy huh?" He let out an amused huff. "That's cute, Sae."

...

...

* * *

...

...

 _ **I am thou, thou art I.**_

 _ **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **It shall become the wings of rebellion**_

 _ **that breaketh thy chains of captivity.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **With the birth of the Death Persona,**_

 _ **I have obtained the blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.**_

...

 _All right_. He nodded, accepting the voice within him.

"So, when can you come back for the next clinical trial?" She said, almost as if she was in a hurry to get started on the next one. "Oh, you don't remember that part either? Well, I was saying that teenage test subjects are quite valuable in the medical research industry. So, I'll provide you with the medicine for your entrance exams, and in exchange, you'll be my guinea pig."

"Lovely." He groaned a bit but she didn't notice.

"I have to perfect this medicine." She said with a determination that stunned Ren. This must be really important to her. "If you're able to move now, you can go home."

"All right then." He got up and collected his bag. "Since we'll be working together, want to exchange contact info?"

"I don't mind." She said as he handed her his phone, putting in her number and chat I.D. so they could get in contact with each other. "Take care."

"Have a good rest of your day, Doctor." He bid farewell as he left the clinic.

Seeing that it was getting dark, he had to wonder just how long he was out. He pulled out his phone and checked the time.

"Wow." He said in shock. "I was out cold."

"You think we can trust her?" Morgana asked.

"Hmm?" He put a hand to his chin as he thought about the shady Doctor. She could be a bit scary but she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Plus, he couldn't deny that she was passionate about her medicine. He had to admire that about her. He didn't think she would force him to go through these trials if she believed they were life threatening so he believed her to be trustworthy. "I think so."

"Well, if you say so, Joker." The cat said. "On the bright side, we got the medicine we wanted."

"That we did." He nodded. "I think it's time we get back into action."

With that said, he pulled out his phone and texted the group chat as he headed home for the day.

 **Ren: Hey guys. Good news. I got some stronger medicine that should help us the next time we go to the castle. Let's meet up at the hideout after school tomorrow.**

 **Ryuji: Awesome!**

 **Ann: I knew you could pull it off Ren!**

 **Kazuma: All right.**

 **Ren: Break time is over. Let's get the show started again!**

* * *

 **And there you have it. I know it was a long time skip, but considering that they almost died at the hands of Archangel and given how far they made it into the Palace, I figured they deserved a long break to recover.**

 **Also, I think you all know who I introduced in this chapter since her birthday is in April, I felt it would be right to introduce her on her birthday. ;)**

 **The part where Kazuma gets hit by the fertilizer falling down the stairs was based on a true experience I had. Here's some advice: One at a time and no one will get hurt.**

 **As you can see, Kazuma has truly been impacted by what happened in the castle and now that he has formed friendships with the others, he wants to make sure he doesn't betray that friendship. He still doesn't understand what it means to be a friend to someone or what defines a friendship. Whether it's talking to them, protecting them, sharing your personal stories with them, he just doesn't get it. But with time, he may understand and will become better for it.**

 **Til next time.**


	17. UPDATE!

Hey everyone, PRemington900 here, thought I would give you guys an update on what's been going on.

One thing I want to make clear, Persona 5: Trickster Vs. Champion is NOT DEAD! The fic is very much alive and Chapter 17 is in the works.

I know it's been months since I last uploaded and I do apologize for being gone for so long. Life has been getting in the way of my writing chapters. I have a full-time job now and it's been taking up all of my time as when I get home from work all I want to do is sleep. Also, I just needed a break from writing and have some time for myself which I think all writers on this site are entitled to have.

The fic is not dead, I am not dead, and I'm ready to get back to writing!

I want to thank everyone who left reviews asking that I return, I am very grateful to each and everyone of you for your support and once again, I'm sorry for such a long absence.

I'm also going back and making some edits to past chapters, nothing serious just correcting some mistakes and grammar issues.

Once Chapter 17 is uploaded, this update will be deleted.

Til next time.


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